Now that Donald Trump is Convicted, Here is What Happens to His Presidency Race

Donald Trump has been convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former U.S. President to face such a verdict.

The conviction is tied to a hush money payment scheme purportedly conducted before the 2016 presidential election.

Donald Trump faces the possibility of 20 years in prison sentence – 4 years on each count. But he is expected to leverage his typical approach of contesting the verdict through appeals, which could significantly delay the sentencing scheduled for July 11.

Donald Trump’s Presidential Aspirations

Despite the gravity of his conviction, Trump’s prospects of returning to the Oval Office are not legally hindered.

Richard L. Hasen, a prominent election law expert from the University of California, UCLA, clarifies that a felony conviction does not disqualify Donald Trump from either running for or holding the office of the President.

“Legally, nothing changes with Trump’s status as a candidate,” Hasen wrote in his Election Law Blog on Thursday.

The U.S. Constitution’s requirements for presidential candidates are age, citizenship, and residency – criteria that Trump still meets, independent of his criminal record.

Voting Rights Intact Depending on Sentencing

The question of whether Donald Trump can vote in future elections hinges significantly on the details of his sentencing.

As a resident of Florida, Trump is subject to the state’s strict disenfranchisement laws for felons, which forbid voting until all terms of the sentence, including supervised release and any fines, are fully served.

ALSO READ: Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump: A Comparison Across 10 Key Areas

However, since Trump’s conviction is in New York, he could benefit from the state’s more lenient law, which reinstates voting rights to felons once they complete their incarceration.

Thus, Trump’s ability to vote would be unaffected if he is not serving a prison sentence by election time.

Political Implications

Donald Trump faces additional allegations including federal election subversion and mishandling classified documents.

However, these do not influence his eligibility to seek the presidency again.

His potential candidacy could once again ignite fervent debates and scrutiny, underscoring his enduring influence and the polarised reactions he commands.