Trump’s make-or-break moment: Presidency or prison fate?
These elections seem more important for Donald Trump than for his rival running for the presidency of the USA. If he wins, he will become the first convicted president in U.S. history with access to nuclear codes. A defeat could mean a return to court battles or even prison, assessed the British newspaper "The Guardian" on Saturday.
3 November 2024 09:01
Defeat in the elections for the highest office in the United States is a severe blow that no candidate will forget. For Trump, this year's voting is a "doomsday," and depending on the result, he may end up in the White House or face the threat of imprisonment, according to David Smith, head of the "Guardian's" Washington bureau.
Throughout his business and television career, Donald Trump has walked the line of ethics and law. He faced numerous investigations, lawsuits, and high fines. His life was full of large-scale scandals, but he always managed to avoid responsibility.
"He developed a reputation as a guy who gets away with it," said Gwenda Blair, author of Trump's biography. An example is the trials involving Trump University, an institution accused of fraud and misleading advertising. In 2016, Trump agreed to a settlement amounting to approximately £18 million, shutting down the company.
His charitable foundation was also accused of misusing funds for private and business purposes. In some court cases, Trump and his companies were ordered to pay high compensation in civil fraud cases.
According to "The Washington Post," during four years of Trump's presidency, he lied or misled in various matters over 30,000 times – ranging from the number of attendees at his inauguration to the results of the 2020 elections.
Trump was also charged in multiple cases, including conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 elections and illegally keeping secret documents taken from the White House. Although the number of cases suggested he would spend the campaign between rallies and courts, he managed to delay many proceedings.
Trump a "good con artist"?
Nevertheless, Trump managed to turn the situation around and portray himself as a martyr persecuted by hidden hostile forces. In this narrative, it's the Democrats who are the threat to American democracy.
John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, remarked that each time accusations were made against Trump, his support in the polls seemed to increase. With every new charge, Trump presented it as further proof of his persecution, skillfully flipping the situation in his favour. Bolton likened this tactic to the work of a skilled con artist.
If Trump wins the elections, he will likely take steps to halt the ongoing proceedings against him. In case of defeat, his legal problems may again loom over him like dark clouds. It is worth recalling that "The Guardian" previously endorsed Kamala Harris's candidacy in an editorial article.
