The title Trump arrest is a circus he didn’t choose, with circumstances he doesn’t want: ANALYSIS signifies the historical events that took place on Tuesday, when former President Donald Trump was indicted on 34 felony charges related to a “scheme” involving hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the 2016 election. Trump’s journey to justice has been long one, with turn of events reminiscent of a circus that have put the incumbent former president’s control over the situation into question.
On Tuesday, motorcades, airplane sightings and a wide array of protests were seen across different cities. Facing the cameras objectively, Trump had to wait a while outside the courthouse to enter his not guilty plea. Afterward, he headed to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to address his supporters, describing the accusations against him as part and parcel of his campaign defense.
It is worth noting that ‘The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.’ Here, Trump is implying that the allegations against him are unfounded and part of a ‘political prosecution’.
The majority of Trump’s major rivals have refrained from directly attacking him and are rather criticizing the district attorney for even bringing the case. Even so, some have spoken about the nature of the accusations against Trump, yet failed to defend his underlying actions. The fact that this might be just the start of cases brought against Trump makes things even uncertain for the Republican Party, led by the former president.
For 2024 plans, Republican candidates such as Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson have opted to ask Trump to suspend his campaign and called on the evangelical community to distance themselves ‘from some of the bad instincts that drive Mr. Trump.’ Veteran Republican consultant Kevin Kellems suggested that this might lead to a ‘crescendo of unelectability.’
Simultaneously, the Trump team has been trumpeting polls that suggest he has seen a surge in popularity due to the charges. According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released before the details of the indictment were out, 45% of voters deemed the charges appropriate, possibly signaling a softer stance within the Republican base.
The arrest of Trump and the aftermath of his prosecution have created mixed reactions. All in all, Trump’s indictment serves as a reminder of importance of the office that any individual should possess to be fit for the US presidential position.
The company mentioned in this article is ABC News/Ipsos. ABC News/Ipsos is a media outlet that provides opinion research through surveys and polls. It is a joint venture between ABC News and the global market research firm, Ipsos. This particular poll presented the opinion of the surveyed subjects on the alleged charges against Donald Trump.
The person mentioned in this article is former Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. A Democrat, Heitkamp served in the Senate from 2013 to 2019. She is an ABC contributor and in a statement made after the arrest commented that Trump may be a ‘martyr’ for the MAGA movement but the ongoing legal proceedings does not bode well for Trump’s bid for the U.S president.
