As Trump racks up indictments, no clear GOP opponent in sight
After being indicted for the fourth time last month in Georgia, former President Donald Trump is set to face a judge and jury in March 2024, where he faces the rest of his natural life in federal prison if convicted.
At this rate, Trump’s felony indictments could soon outpace his six bankruptcies. With the stakes higher than ever for Defendant Trump, his only hope of avoiding what is virtually a death sentence if he is found guilty is returning to the ultimate seat of impunity — the presidency.
With enough legal matters to keep the candidate busy, Trump declined to join his opponents on the first GOP debate stage on Aug. 23.
But according to his campaign, Trump earned more than $7 million in the days following the release of his mugshot through donations and merchandise sales, with over $4 million earned in the 24 hours following its release — a record for this campaign.
As The Blueprint reported in July, Trump is also standing trial in May 2024 on charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, many of which were located by FBI investigators in his personal bathroom at Mar-a-Lago.
While there is little overlap between the trials and the presidential campaign cycle, Trump’s Georgia trial could have major implications in the primary. After all, the vast majority of Republicans go to the polls on March 5, one day after the trial is set to begin. It’s also mathematically impossible for Trump to clinch the nomination before his trial date.
However, with GOP primaries set to conclude on March 12 and the official nomination not taking place until July, Trump should have plenty of time to shift focus to his legal battles.
And ultimately, it’s not just the defendant who is entitled to a speedy trial — so is the public.
GOP candidates take debate stage for first time
The first GOP debate, which garnered nearly 13 million viewers on FOX News, seems to have done little to raise the profiles of the eight candidates who participated — Doug Burgum, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott.
While Haley indicated during the debate she would vote for Trump if he becomes the eventual nominee, she later told ABC News she doesn’t think she will have to keep her word.
"I don't think it's going to get to that point," Haley told George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America last week. "I think Donald Trump will spend more time in court next year than he's going to spend on the campaign trail. I think Americans are tired of talking about the past."
Meanwhile, Burgum and Hutchinson have always been considered longshots, and neither has yet to qualify for the second debate, scheduled for Sept. 27.
Ramaswamy, on the other hand, has already clinched his spot on the second debate stage. Unfortunately for his campaign, he’s making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
A closer look at the Ramaswamy campaign
After being booed at last month’s debate for calling the climate crisis a "hoax," the author and entrepreneur raised conspiracy theories about 9/11 in an interview with The Atlantic.
Ramaswamy’s team has also alleged that right-wing propagandistic news network Newsmax tried to bribe him financially for better coverage. (Newsmax, which recently found itself in hot water over allegations against voting machine company Dominion, denies the allegation.)
The report, published in Semafor, included another alleged bombshell by Ramaswamy — that his opponent, Perry Johnson, paid the network for coverage in higher-rated time slots.
Things aren’t getting better for Ramaswamy, who recently received a cease and desist order from rapper Eminem after the candidate used his award-winning song, "Lose Yourself," on the campaign trail.
While Ramaswamy continues to raise his public profile, he ultimately has no political experience that could subjectively qualify him for president.
He has called for the voting age to be raised to 25, with the caveat that younger people could qualify to vote if they serve in the military, work as first responders, or pass the same citizenship test given to immigrants.
Ramaswamy has also campaigned on a promise to end birthright citizenship for non-status immigrants and their children, threatening the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Pence and DeSantis become the leftovers
Ironically, for Republicans — who seem to have a short memory with Trump — support for former Vice President Mike Pence has been underwhelming, to say the least. Running a campaign branded on his decision to fulfill his oath of office by certifying the 2020 presidential election, Pence has so far failed to appeal to Trump voters, who view him as a traitor.
Speaking of things not getting better, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has become a cautionary tale among Republicans, with his campaign seemingly in collapse.
DeSantis inspired few with his closing statement at last week’s debate, where he promised to "send Joe Biden back to his basement."
Now, returning after a campaign hiatus to address a mass killing and hurricane in Florida, DeSantis needs a miracle to get back into the race. Or at least a conviction.