Former President Donald Trump is confronting the possibility of jail time or house arrest after being convicted last week on 34 felony counts related to hush money payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign.
But the former president seemed incredibly calm and unbothered during an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends Weekend.”
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention, where he is expected to officially accept the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, according to Axios.
While the charges carry a maximum of four years in prison on each count, some legal experts say Trump may not see the inside of a cell given that low-level felonies like the ones Trump is convicted of almost never result in jail time, according to Business Insider.
Judges can impose a huge fine or community service instead.
Defense attorney and former Brooklyn prosecutor Arthur Aidala told Business Insider that he does not see a “scenario where Donald Trump spends one minute in jail.”
Still, taking into account the history of clear bias and political agenda displayed by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan, nothing is off the table.
In a commentary piece published by The New York Times in April, Norman L. Eisen, the author of “Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial,” opined that the judge could justify jail time by taking into account that Trump has not shown remorse and also the number of times he violated Merchan’s gag orders.
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However, Trump seemed resigned.
“I’m OK with it,” he told Fox host Pete Hegseth when questioned about the possibility of house arrest or jail time.
“Just the way it is,” he said, telling the Fox News hosts that he has instructed his lawyers, “You don’t beg for anything.”
JUST IN: Donald Trump says he is prepared to go to jail, says he’s not going to beg the judge to keep him out.
“I’m okay with [going to jail].”
“I saw one of my lawyers the other day on television saying: ‘Oh no, you don’t want to do that to the president.’”
“I said, don’t,… pic.twitter.com/ZFzp5JEYhz
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 2, 2024
He did warn, however, that seeing him go to jail could be “tough for the public to take.”
“You know, at a certain point, there’s a breaking point,” he said.;
Trump on possible house arrest or jail time: I’m not sure that the public would stand for it. I think it would be tough for the public to take. At a certain point, there’s a breaking point pic.twitter.com/kiULX6wax6
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 2, 2024
The former president’s legal team is certain to appeal the guilty verdict, but cannot do so under New York law until sentencing occurs. The decision on whether to allow Trump to remain free pending appeal will be up to the judge, Juan Merchan.
Trump was right about one thing: Watching him calmly accept that if the lawfare attack on him leads to jail time, he’ll be “OK with it,” is hard for his supporters to take.
There is a breaking point, and many of us are rapidly reaching it.
We have watched Jan. 6 protesters treated like terrorists while far more violent and destructive George Floyd protesters glorified.
We have watched parents concerned about their daughters being raped by boys in girls’ bathrooms being dragged off screaming and transgender activists flashing fake breasts on the White House lawn. We have seen the Clinton Foundation make millions promising to rebuild Haiti, only to see it devolve into chaos, and there has been no accountability, according to Fox News.
And when Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee paid for a fake Russian dossier against Trump and labeled it “legal fees” — the kind of behavior Trump was accused of — they were allowed to settle the case for a measly $113,000, according to The Associated Press.
Trump is right — there is a breaking point.
But it’s not just Trump supporters who are breaking under the weight of injustice — it’s our democratic Republic.
