For Donald Trump, Everything Is at Stake in the November Election

As president, Donald Trump could stop most of the criminal proceedings against him. But, if he loses the election, he faces conviction and prison.

Donald Trump is currently embroiled in two major battles: politically in the race for the presidency and legally with regard to criminal proceedings against him. Trump has suffered setbacks in the election campaign since Joe Biden made way for Kamala Harris. But in the courts, things have been going well for him recently. Trump-appointed judges have issued certain questionable decisions, bringing the most troublesome proceedings to a standstill.

The Supreme Court threw a wrench into the works for Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by the Department of Justice, by ruling that a president enjoys immunity from prosecution for acts committed within his official capacity as president, which means he is above the law. In Florida, a federal judge overseeing Trump indictment on charges related to handling classified documents held that Smith’s appointment was unlawful and dismissed the case.

Smith Fights Back

But Smith is fighting back on all fronts. He is appealing the absurd decision in Florida and is likely to be vindicated on appeal. Further, experts say that Smith’s amended indictment in the case related to Trump’s alleged complicity in the storming of the Capitol is on solid legal ground.

These moves won’t hurt Trump’s election campaign, but they do raise the stakes for the election on Nov. 5. If Trump wins, then as president he can get rid of most of his legal problems. But if he loses, he could end up behind bars instead of in the White House.