In theory, it is possible that Donald Trump in an orange prison suit will be elected president of the United States from his cell. So says lawyer and connoisseur of America Kenneth Manusama in BNR De Wereld. Trump has been accused of intentionally hiding boxes of national defense secrets found at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
Trump faces up to 10 years in prison for violating the espionage law. At the same time, there is no law prohibiting the popular Republican from campaigning from prison or from being elected president of the United States.
New kids in Donald’s neighborhood
The Republican camp is heating up for the 2024 presidential election. First former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Tim Scott and a few others entered the arena, who were recently joined former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
With the exception of the latter, however, none of the candidates seem to really dare to oppose the still popular Trump. According to Manusama he is still in the lead and the other candidates have to ‘find a way to relate to him’.
And, apart from Christie, they do it painstakingly and carefully. For example, Pence has long been shy about being critical of Trump, which he had every right to do since the storming of the Capitol, but now seems to have moved on with his comments that anyone who doesn’t respect the Constitution doesn’t should be president. But he still does it without mentioning Trump’s name.
“In reality, they all seem to be waiting (…) for Trump to slide. Because they are all captured by Trump, who hangs over the market like a kind of sword of Damocles and actually determines everything,” says Manusama.
Kamikaze Christie
Who calls man and horse: Chris Christie. The former governor takes pride in the fact that New Jersey doesn’t mince its words and it certainly doesn’t. “The only one who really chooses to attack frontally is Chris Christie, that’s always been his style.” Some analysts call him a kamikaze pilot who drags Trump into his downfall. Christie has never hidden that she keeps Trump away from the presidency and goes with her leg outstretched. “It really sounds like he’s on some sort of mission to knock Trump out of the race.”
Listen to the episode of BNR De Wereld here
According to Manusama, it’s hard to discern who exactly “has a clear path to the White House beyond Donald Trump and could beat him.” An attractive alternative is Tim Scott, the black governor of South Carolina. And this is an important state for Joe Biden too, Scott could theoretically steal votes from Biden in South Carolina. But even for Scott, like the others, he is careful and only slightly counters Trump.
Dark clouds
Never mind that Trump is involved in some serious lawsuits with serious allegations. The story of the hidden money with the porn actress is the least serious, and according to Manusama there is simply too little evidence for the storming of the Capitol. What matters to him is the case for which he is now officially indicted: the concealment of state secret documents in his estate. “The evidence is on the table, he probably can’t ignore it.”
“They’re all trying to find a justification for saying, don’t vote for Trump”
Sneak out
However, his staunch supporters won’t mind, because they take Trump at his word, to the more moderate Republican it will make all the difference. And the other candidates benefit from it. “It’s really about slowly eroding other Trump voters who previously voted for Trump (…) and now they’re just slowly thinking: The drama is too much for me. Now it’s really gone wrong.’ He would concern the 62 percent of moderate Republican voters who think they have crossed the line.
Biden versus Trump
Meanwhile, no serious rival candidates for Joe Biden have stepped forward in the Democratic camp, and they are unlikely to: It is common practice that an incumbent president should not be harassed by serious competition when he is re-elected. It seems that the Democrats are betting on Biden because he has already beaten Trump, Manusama also thinks. According to the American expert, it is even in the democratic interest for Trump to side for the elections.
“Biden was elected because people thought: we have to get rid of Trump”
“I think everyone agrees, especially the Republican candidates who have come forward, that if Trump is the candidate for the GOP, he will definitely lose again to Joe Biden.”
Listen to the American Pastor and Street Fighter podcast here
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
