At midnight US time, the fourth indictment against former US President Donald Trump was brought. This time he is accused of having tried to influence the election results in 2020. Below, Rolf Porseryd, TV4 Nyheternas foreign commentator, explains how the new indictment differs from the previous ones brought and what it means for Trump’s candidacy. He also figures out what happens if he is convicted – can the former president become America’s leader again?
What does the indictment mean for Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy?
– Previous prosecutions have not affected Trump’s opinion figures in the short term, rather he has strengthened his support among Republican voters and relatively few top Republican politicians have gone against Trump, despite serious accusations. Trump’s position will not be worsened in the short term by the indictment in Georgia where Trump and 18 co-defendants are accused of trying to change the election in the state. Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis has filed a 41-count indictment. The 19 defendants have “conspired to illegally change the outcome of the election”.
He has several charges against him – how does the one brought last night differ from the previous ones?
– The indictment in Georgia is at the state level, which means that Trump cannot pardon himself in the event of a possible return to power. State law also does not allow the governor of Georgia to pardon an impeached president. More senior Republican politicians will testify against Trump in the trial, which strengthens the prosecution. It is also unclear whether a sitting president can pardon himself. The issue has never before been tried in court.
Can Trump become president even if he is convicted?
– Trump can be elected president and also be in prison. There is nothing in the US Constitution that prevents an elected president from ruling from a prison cell, although that has never happened before. The men who adopted the Constitution in 1787 could hardly have imagined that a future president would behave as Donald Trump has.
What does the support look like for him right now?
– Support for Donald Trump is still very large, especially among core Republican voters and he clearly leads in public opinion against the other Republican candidates. But the question of that support will persist the closer we get to the election and when the trials start next year. There is nothing to suggest that the core of Trump’s support will change – they are firmly with Donald Trump.