opinion: Trump trial Is a necessary step in the right direction

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 - Former president and current presidential candidate Donald J. Trump turned himself into a New York City court for arraignment on over 30 felony charges. His arrest, courtesy of the New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is believed to stem from a series of hush-money payments made to former adult entertainers Stephanie Clifford, a.k.a. Stormy Daniels, and Karen McDougal. In an attempt to conceal the encounters, Trump’s previous personal attorney Michael Cohen is alleged to have made payments totaling $280,000 ahead of the 2016 elections. 

Cohen’s personal criminal record already features charges of fraud, and he has served some jail time in relation to the hush-money; however Trump's involvement has been relatively disputed. While Cohen has been cooperative with authorities throughout and following his three-year prison sentence, only recently has Trump been feeling this legal pressure. The main concern with Trump’s involvement here stems from the usage of campaign funds in order to repay Cohen for the out-of-pocket hush money that had been sent to Clifford and McDougal. The aforementioned funds sent were categorized under “legal expenses” on the campaign trail and finance sheets, according to reports. While the act of making hush-payments in and of itself isn’t against the law, the actions following may have been. 

In the jurisdiction of New York, where the charges are being filed, this crime only amounts to a misdemeanor. It is expected that of the 30-odd charges, some of them will serve to elevate this misdemeanor to a felony level offense by proving the financial mismanagement served to further an additional crime. The former president’s new attorneys have been working tirelessly to prepare for his arrest, forming an agreement for Trump to surrender himself at the Courthouse in New York City, among other clauses. His devout followers and dissenters both have already taken to the city in hopes to witness the unprecedented events unfold, with the NYPD preparing themselves for civil unrest in the wake of Trump’s arrival. Mayor Adams is quoted as saying, “While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.” 

One rally, being headed by US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right politician who has stood by Trump continually, was singled out by Adams. “...we respect the rule of law in New York City, and although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, stated she's coming to town. While you are in town, be on your best behavior.” Greene, along with Republican representative from New York George Santos, defended the former president outside the courthouse today. 

Upon arrival on his private flight from Florida, Trump was transported to stay the night in his own hotel before presenting for arraignment at a lower Manhattan courtroom the next morning. That morning, for the first time in history, a former United States president was arrested. The brief hearing, in which Trump was informed of all 34 counts he’d been charged with, was not publicized through the press. One vital and unique aspect of Trump and his attorney’s agreement involved a restriction on recording devices within the hearing. As well as that, Trump was strangely exempted from having a mugshot taken and published. Following this, a not guilty plea was entered by Trump and his legal team. 

While ongoing as we speak, this process is a lengthy one and progress will likely take months or even years. Both sides will need time to collect their evidence and prepare, as a high profile case like this often does. One very important thing to remember is that while he has been formally charged with a crime, that means absolutely nothing in regards to Trump’s planned 2024 presidential run. In our Constitution, of the three requirements for becoming the president, not a single one makes mention of a clean criminal record, no mention is even made of incarceration status. With that, we see that even if Trump is actively in litigation over this and other matters, he is still free and able to run again next year. In theory, he could even run for president from behind bars. 

While odd, a presidential bid while convicted wouldn’t be a first time event for the United States. All the way back in 1920, Socialist candidate Eugene Debs ran for president while incarcerated for an antiwar speech given in Ohio. His candidacy received a surprising amount of support, garnering over a million votes as a third party candidate. Although it only amounted to 3.4% of the total popular vote, this historical example does demonstrate a precedent for candidates running their campaign while in custody. It is not out of the question to suggest that, if convicted, Trump would still attempt to run for reelection. In that, there is also the opportunity for him to possibly give himself a presidential pardon, if elected. In doing so, theoretically, he could avoid any accountability for this or his other alleged crimes. While completely hypothetical at the moment, for a personality like Trump and those of his supporters that fall into the "cult of personality" category, being voted into office from within a cell isn’t entirely impossible. 

The former president’s list of accused crimes is not limited to those brought up in today’s indictment. Currently, there are numerous ongoing investigations which are seeking to shed light on further possibilities of wrongdoing, conducted both pre-election and from within the Oval Office. Critics accuse Trump of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in which he lost to Joe Biden by thin margins. In a recorded phone call between the president and Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger, Trump can be quoted saying, “I just want to find 11,780 votes,” in reference to a dispute over the state's election certification. His attempt to pressure the fellow Republican into overturning Georgia’s certification demonstrates the desperation of the president following his loss to Biden. Similar calls were made to election officials in areas like Detroit, MI and Maricopa, AZ where he demanded Biden’s win be disputed at the local level. Likewise, it is believed that the former executive also played a role in motivating the events of the January 6th riot on the US Capitol. While he may or may not be criminally liable in any of these situations, it should be clear that Trump’s brashness and baseless claims of fraud led to a disputed election and eventually the tragic and unprecedented events of January 6th--all actions he deserves to be held accountable for in a court of law. 

With his next court date set by Judge Juan Merchan to December 4th, it is clear that we as a country will be waiting awhile for any headway in the case. In the meantime, it is best to examine all the available evidence and witness accounts in order to determine a proper course of action. Trump’s efforts to dispute the vote count, while an anomaly now, may very possibly become the norm for future elections. If so, we must reexamine the systems in place in order to continue with safe and effective transfers of power. Our nation is built upon it's free, democratic elections and if one sore-loser can bring that foundational system to a near breaking point. It should be clear that reconsiderations must be made. For the sake of our nation and it’s future, justice must be served against Trump, and we must address the issue at its root in order to safeguard democracy and subsequent elections.