The 2024 presidential election took on an entirely unprecedented dimension last week when presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump was convicted by a jury in a Manhattan courtroom.
However, according to Trump's lawyer and legal spokesperson Alina Habba, even if the former president is sentenced to a term of incarceration, his 2024 campaign for the White House will continue unabated, as the Washington Examiner reports.
Though liberal commentators have been rejoicing over Trump's conviction and wondering about the potential impact on his campaign to unseat President Joe Biden this fall, word has come through Habba that they should not be under any misconceptions.
Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Habba assured the nation -- and indeed the world -- that Trump's determination to reclaim the White House has not wavered.
Putting things bluntly, Habba declared that Trump “is running for president. Nothing will change that.”
Kuenssberg swiftly followed by asking, “Even if he ends up being locked up?”
Habba elaborated on her prior statement, adding, “I recommend you find the latest pause in this country from the people that live in this country, the people that need him in this country because frankly, it's more important than anything anybody else thinks. Our people are speaking loudly, they're donating, they're small donors, and they're standing up because they're afraid because we cannot have this happen to us.”
Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult entertainer Stormy Daniels, and each of those counts brings the possibility of four-years in prison, as CBS News notes.
However, it is my no means a foregone conclusion that Judge Juan Merchan will impose a custodial sentence on the former president, considering a host of factors that are in play.
The minimum sentence possible for someone convicted of this particular offense is zero time in jail, with probation, home detention, or conditional discharge options that are also available to the judge.
An analysis of comparable cases in the same jurisdiction found that roughly 10% involved a period of incarceration but given that Trump is considered a first-time offender and because of the complicated logistics of putting a former president who is entitled to Secret Service protection behind bars, the possibility of jail seems remote to many.
Speaking to Fox & Friends Weekend in an interview that aired on Sunday, Trump acknowledged the possibility of jail or home confinement and said that he was “OK with it,” as NBC News notes.
He did warn of the potential backlash that could stem from such an outcome, noting, “I don't know that the public would stand it. You know, I don't 00 I'm not sure the public would stand for it.”
Trump went on, “I think it would be tough for the public to take. You know, at a certain point, there's a breaking point,” and given that millions of Americans already view the conviction to be the result of a corrupt, politically motivated witch hunt, he is probably correct.
