ONLY a third of Americans believe former President Donald Trump should spend time behind bars after being found guilty in his secret trial, a new poll has revealed.
Support for the hope of 2024 remains strong despite Trump, 77, becoming the first former president in US history to be convicted of a crime.
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Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at his now-infamous silent trial in a Manhattan courtroom last week.
He will be sentenced on July 11 at 10 a.m. EST.
Trump’s conviction is considered a class E felony, which may result fine, probation or up to four years in prison for each charge.
Although it is still unclear what the former president’s fate will be, approximately one in three Americans believes he should be sentenced to prison time.
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New research carried out by Speaker search found that 36% of Americans think prison time is an appropriate punishment, while 33% support Trump getting a hefty fine.
When broken down by party, about 62% of Democratic respondents supported the prison sentence, compared to just 12% of Republicans.
Meanwhile, 17% of respondents said they believed the loss of Trump’s business licenses would be an appropriate punishment for conviction.
Another 17% support probation, 13% support community service and 6% said they believe something else should be considered.
The poll also found that more than half (53%) of Americans agreed with the guilty verdict – including 90% of Democrats and 17% of Republicans.
At the same time, about one in six Americans (17%) said they believe the president is “above the law,” including 13% of Democrats and 19% of Republicans.
The poll, which interviewed 500 Republicans and 500 Democrats, also found that 37% of Americans believe Trump should no longer be eligible to run for president.
However, experts revealed that the conviction is unlikely to harm his chances of getting another opportunity in the White House.
“There is nothing that prohibits a convicted criminal from being president of the United States,” former prosecutor Neama Rahmani previously told The US Sun.
“Theoretically, Trump could be in prison and still be president of the United States, deserving of the Constitution,” he added.
Can Donald Trump still be president if he is convicted before the election?
The US Sun spoke to a legal expert about the question of whether Donald Trump can still serve as president if he is in prison.
“If Donald Trump is found guilty, even if he is sentenced to prison, which is unlikely in the New York case, he could still be president,” former prosecutor Neama Rahmani told The US Sun.
“There is nothing that prohibits a convicted criminal from being president of the United States.
“Theoretically, Trump could be in prison and still be president of the United States, deserving of the Constitution.
“The only requirements are that he is 35 years old, born in the United States and has not participated in an insurrection.”
“The only requirements are that he is 35 years old, born in the United States and has not participated in an insurrection.”
Despite the conviction, voter support for Trump remains strong.
The survey found that the former president saw just a 2 percentage point drop in individuals who said they were likely to vote for Trump in the November 2024 presidential election.
Specifically, 45% of individuals surveyed said they were likely to vote for Trump before conviction.
After the guilty verdict, only 43% said they stood by that decision.
What are Donald Trump’s next steps?
A jury in New York City found Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide hush money he paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
The first former US president to be convicted of a crime, but remains the Republican favorite in his bid for the White House against Joe Biden.
Trump’s sentencing date is set for July 11, 2024, however, his lawyers may attempt to delay this until after the November 5 presidential election, which is unlikely to happen without good cause.
Trump, 77, can still speak to the press, travel out of state and continue his presidential campaign.
His guilty verdict also does not automatically make him a convicted felon.
The charges against Trump are Class E felonies, the least serious category under New York law, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Trump could also pay fines and restitution as part of his sentence or face probation.
Judge Juan Merchan said he is weighing several factors regarding Trump’s sentence, including his age and lack of criminal history, however, the former president’s actions during the trial could also play a role in the judge’s decision. .
A guilty verdict does not prevent Trump from running for president.
The US Constitution requires potential US presidents to be:
- Native American citizens
- At least 35 years old
- Live in the country for at least 14 years
Criminals are not prevented from holding office.
While Trump has maintained a steady lead ahead of current President Joe Biden in polls for months, the recent survey found that the two are now tied at 42% when individuals are presented with both options.
About 10% of individuals said they were unsure, 2% said they would vote for a third party and 4% indicated they would not vote.
Trump, who is now a criminal, is still expected to be nominated as the Republican Party’s nominee during the Republican National Convention on July 15, just days after his sentencing.
If the party unexpectedly nominates a different candidate, 85% of voters who said they would vote for Trump said they would stick with their choice.
Just 5% said they would no longer vote for Trump, while 11% remained unsure.
Could Donald Trump appeal the sentence?
Donald Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records, with sentencing scheduled for July 11, 2024, however, he will almost certainly appeal.
Trump, 77, will have to appeal to the First Judicial Department of New York’s Appellate Division and, if the court confirms the verdict, he will be able to appeal to the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court.
His appeal will likely focus on testimony given by adult film star Stormy Daniels, who received hush money from Trump’s team because of a brief affair the two had in 2006.
However, legal experts believe it is unlikely that any appeal will be resolved before the November 5 elections.
Trump is the Republican candidate in his bid for the White House against President Joe Biden.
To successfully appeal the verdict, Trump will have to show that Judge Juan Merchan made serious errors during the trial.
The former president has consistently maintained his innocence and denied having sex with Daniels, claiming that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought the charges to thwart his presidential campaign.
Trump’s legal team will likely argue that Daniels’ testimony was too detailed for a case about whether or not he falsified documents rather than having an affair with the porn star.
The defense could also argue that a gag order restricting Trump from making public statements about the trial violated his rights and that holding the trial in largely Democratic Manhattan was unfair.
The defense could argue that the charges were also illegally improper, as some legal experts have argued that the case could be vulnerable to this type of challenge because the charge’s legal theory was not tested on appeal.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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