New York court ruled that former President Trump was found guilty of 34 charges in the hush money case. There are legal questions regarding whether Trump is still eligible to run for president, and what legal issues might arise if he is convicted and imprisoned. From a legal perspective, Chinese-American lawyer and candidate for the 49th district of the California State Assembly, Mr. Liu Longzhu, provided some insights.
According to Liu Longzhu, the law does not prohibit individuals with a criminal record or those awaiting trial from running for president. The U.S. Constitution sets clear and simple requirements for presidential candidates: they must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, at least 35 years old, and have been a resident in the U.S. for over 14 years. Liu Longzhu stated, “If the law does not prohibit it, then it is legal.”
Regarding the sentencing of Trump on July 11, Liu Longzhu analyzed that based on statistics for the same charges, only 10% of individuals are sentenced to prison. Therefore, there is a 90% chance that Trump will not serve time. However, Liu Longzhu emphasized that this is merely a statistical prediction without considering any external factors or undisclosed operations.
Following the guilty verdict in the Manhattan jury trial for Trump’s hush money case, Trump raised $52 million in one day. Liu Longzhu described Trump’s campaign momentum as “unstoppable” and believes he will win the election. However, U.S. President Biden stated that the only way to prevent Trump from entering the Oval Office is through the November U.S. election. Biden wrote, “The only way to get Trump out of the Oval Office is through the ballot box.”
Chief Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, mentioned post-conviction that “Justice has been served in downtown Manhattan…No one is above the law, not even a former president.” He stated that Trump can no longer evade the consequences of his actions.
However, Liu Longzhu pointed out the uniqueness of this case, mentioning that the judge had previously donated $35 to an anti-Trump committee, indicating bias. He questioned how a judge could remain impartial if they do not like Trump, highlighting the challenge of separating personal feelings from judicial fairness. Liu Longzhu argued that a fair judge would typically recuse themselves from such cases.
Furthermore, Liu Longzhu noted that the case involving Trump’s 2016 presidential election falls under federal elections and should be overseen by the Department of Justice, not the state of New York. He found it peculiar that charges were brought only after Trump officially announced his presidential candidacy, despite no prosecution in the previous two years.
The final outcome of the Trump hush money case is also influenced by another lawsuit where Trump is accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election results. After Trump appealed to the Supreme Court, they announced consideration of “whether a former president is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts taken during his term in office and to what extent.”
The speculation about the future development of the case is substantial. Liu Longzhu proposed two potential scenarios:
In the first scenario, if the Supreme Court rejects Trump’s immunity claim, he could potentially “be the U.S. president in jail.” This begs the question of whether Trump can pardon himself. Regarding the hush money case being a state lawsuit brought by New York, not a federal case, Trump would not have the power to pardon himself, leading to the unprecedented situation of a president exercising duties from prison. Liu expressed, “This is unimaginable, it would be a disaster.”
In the second scenario, if the Supreme Court overturns the lower court’s ruling, it would signify the embodiment of legal principles. Liu Longzhu believes that as a presidential candidate, Trump is entitled to uninterrupted privileges. The outcome of the appeal and the Supreme Court’s decision would test their wisdom. Liu suggested, “I believe there is a high possibility that Trump will be granted immunity, and the disruptions associated with these lawsuits will dissipate.”