Topline
Former President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday he will not drop out of the 2024 presidential race under any circumstances—even if he’s convicted on felony charges in Manhattan—in his first interview since his historic arraignment last week.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on November … [+]
Key Facts
Trump told Fox News host Tucker Carlson there is nothing that can force him out of the race, saying, “It’s not my thing, I wouldn’t do it,” in an interview that rapidly veered across topics and involved little discussion of Trump’s criminal case.
The ex-president’s 2024 campaign rival, former Arkansas Asa Hutchinson (R), called for Trump to drop out of the race earlier this month due to his indictment in New York criminal court, telling the Associated Press the charges against him are a “distraction.”
An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday also found 48% of Americans believe Trump should suspend his campaign, while a majority (53%) said they think Trump did something illegal.
Trump instead claimed the indictment will help his campaign, and said his arrest last Tuesday “was a sad day in many ways” but “in many ways it was a beautiful day,” insisting court workers cried and apologized to him during his arrest last week—a story that hasn’t been backed up by any evidence.
Key Background
Trump pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court last week on 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records. The case is centered around payments Trump allegedly approved to reimburse his former fixer, Michael Cohen, for sending a $130,000 wire transfer to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign, in an alleged attempt to keep her from publicly discussing an affair she claimed to have with Trump years earlier—which he has denied. Trump has blasted the investigation as one of numerous politically motivated “witch hunts” he says are unfairly targeting him, such as federal probes into January 6 and his potential mishandling of classified documents, along with a criminal investigation in Georgia related to his effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The ex-president’s brief period under arrest became a media spectacle, which he has attempted to use to his political advantage to fundraise and draw further attention to his campaign. His campaign claimed to raise $7 million in the days leading up to his arraignment.
Surprising Fact
If Trump is found guilty in Manhattan, he might not face any legal barriers to returning to the White House. The Constitution does not bar convicted felons from becoming president, and as a first-time offender, he probably wouldn’t face significant prison time if he’s convicted of a low-level felony like falsifying business records.
Contra
The interview is also the first Trump has done with Carlson since private text messages emerged last month showing Carlson blasting Trump’s claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election and voicing personal disgust for the ex-president, writing at one point: “I hate him passionately.” The texts were publicly disclosed as part of a filing from Dominion Voting Systems in its $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News for airing false fraud allegations after the 2020 election.
Further Reading
Trump Pleads Not Guilty To 34 Counts Of Falsifying Business Records (Forbes)
7 Unforgettable Moments From Trump’s First Day In Court: Fake Mug Shot, Santos Storming Off And More (Forbes)
Trump Campaign Has Raised $7 Million Since Indictment, His Advisor Says (Forbes)
Dominion Lawsuit: Fox News Has ‘Credibility Problem’ For Failing To State Murdoch’s Role At Network, Judge Says (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/04/11/trump-says-hell-still-run-for-president-if-convicted-id-never-drop-out/