Considering that Donald Trump has been indicted four times on 91 felony counts, there is a possibility that he may eventually be convicted of a crime and end up behind bars ― even if he’s elected president in November.
Although the idea of Trump running the country from a prison cell instead of the West Wing might be disturbing to many Americans, at least one commentator on Monday’s episode of “Outnumbered” seemed OK with it.
Panelists on the Fox News show were discussing the upcoming GOP primary season and how it may affect Trump’s chances of retaking the White House when attorney Paul Mauro predicted that Trump would be the candidate “left standing” by the time Super Tuesday rolls around on March 5.
But co-host Kennedy wondered what might happen if the former president, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces, is “indicted at some point.”
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat was quick to proclaim a simple solution.
“He can be president from jail if he has to,” she said, adding that Republicans are still rallying around Trump despite the multiple trials he faces.
Although Nesheiwat and others might be comfortable with the leader of the free world governing from behind bars, many users of X, formerly known as Twitter, weren’t as enthusiastic, with some saying that her suggestion smacked of “cult” like behavior.
Could Trump actually become president if convicted? Richard L. Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told CNN in August that the Constitution “has very few requirements to serve as President,” but “does not bar anyone indicted, or convicted, or even serving jail time, from running as president and winning the presidency.”
That is one reason why many opponents to Trump’s reelection are instead looking at the Constitution’s 14th Amendment as a way to keep him from appearing on ballots. They argue that Trump’s links to the 2021 Capitol riot would prohibit him from holding office under the so-called insurrectionist clause.