Trump – Will the Limelight Have Consequences?

Authorities will need to prove that the tycoon attempted to conceal crimes he has not been charged with and which have not been mentioned in the indictment

Donald Trump is where he likes to be: in the spotlight.

And for the time being, at least on the face of it, in prime position in the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. But there are potential costs.

The media circus, which on Monday and Tuesday saw him dominating air space on television, radio and social media in the United States and around the world, boosted his image among his supporters and allowed him to assume the ambiguous role of the alleged victim of political persecution.

On the one hand there is what has become a regular complaint of unfair persecution that he has peddled to his supporters, and that he claims has allowed him to raise $8 million in contributions during the last week, but there is also his warning of “death & destruction” in the event of conviction.

The situation helped. The 34 charges that were read on Tuesday in the Manhattan District Court are linked to violations of New York state election law; making false statements, including to tax officials and exceeding the cap on federal campaign contributions.

Authorities will need to prove that Trump attempted to conceal other crimes with which he has not been charged and that have not been mentioned in the indictment, including violating federal campaign finance laws.

According to legal experts in the United States, the case is relatively weak because it depends on successfully proving criminal intent and conspiracy behind the hush money payments to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

But at the same time, it is only the first of several separate and potentially much more serious cases: The Justice Department’s investigation into the handling of classified documents, arguably the most serious legal case he is facing, appears to be gaining momentum and yielding new evidence. The Department of Justice is also investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, are deliberating about whether to file charges following a grand jury investigation into Trump’s possible attempts to disrupt the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

In any case, if these other three investigations develop into formal indictments, Trump will be forced to abandon his presidential campaign between the months of December 2023 and August 2024, the Republican presidential primaries.

It will put him back in the spotlight, but in a less flattering light for a political figure and in a negative way, perhaps not in the eyes of his supporters, but quite possibly in the eyes of the American public.

Trump has always liked being the center of attention, and his presence in Manhattan has given him another opportunity to take the spotlight. But now he is taking risks that could end up turning public opinion against him.