The busy court schedule during the election season will negatively impact Trump's campaign schedule, forcing him to find a more suitable campaign strategy.
On March 25, the New York Court of Appeals agreed to let former President Donald Trump reduce the bail fee for the $3 million fine to $464 million and required him to comply within 175 days.
This is considered a victory in the effort to deal with the series of legal troubles surrounding the former president. Just one day before, Mr. Trump also faced the risk of having to sell off valuable real estate to pay the fine, in the context that insurance companies refused to guarantee such a large fine. .
But on the same day, Mr. Trump failed in his attempt to postpone the trial of the lawsuit over allegations of hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels for concealing unfavorable information during her 2016 election campaign. New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan rejected. Argument from the lawyer representing the former president, set to start trial on April 15.
The above developments partly show Trump's unpredictable situation, as both a presidential candidate and a defendant. The period from now until the November election is estimated by observers to be unpleasant for both Mr. Trump and American voters.
Instead of focusing on campaigning, Mr. Trump now needs to prepare to appear in court from April 15. The trial process lasts at least 4 weeks and he will have to appear in court 6 days a week, except Wednesdays.
“How can you run for office when you have to sit in a Manhattan courthouse all day? I should be in South Carolina right now. I shouldn't have to sit in court," Mr. Trump said as he prepared to enter the New York Supreme Court on the morning of March 25.
Former President Donald Trump at the New York State Supreme Court on November 6, 11. Image: Reuters
Mr. Trump is facing 4 prosecutions with a total of 91 charges. In addition to New York, the former president is also accused of plotting to overturn the election results leading to riots at Capitol Hill in 2021, meddling in the Georgia state election and illegally keeping confidential documents after leaving the White House.
The Republican presidential candidate criticized these prosecutions as an "election interference" effort by President Joe Biden's administration. “I don't understand why the trial started right in the middle of the election season. It's not fair,” Mr. Trump said.
The Fulton County prosecutor proposed to begin trial of Mr. Trump on August 5 in the Georgia prosecution case, while the Florida federal court plans to hear the case of illegal retention of classified documents on May 8. Meanwhile, the Washington federal court has not set a trial date for the charge of conspiracy to overturn the election results, because the US Supreme Court is handling an appeal from Mr. Trump regarding the president's immunity from prosecution.
For Mr. Biden's campaign, his opponent's series of legal scandals are both a challenge and an opportunity. The White House has generally not commented, avoiding giving Trump a reason to reinforce his claim that he is a political victim, while Mr. Biden's campaign has recently increased its attacks on the former president.
“Donald Trump is weak and desperate, whether as a man or a presidential candidate,” James Singer, Mr. Biden's campaign spokesman, said on March 25. “His campaign couldn't raise money. He's not interested in campaigning. And every time he opens his mouth, he further alienates moderate and suburban voters with his dangerous agenda.”
Mr. Trump campaigned more actively than Mr. Biden in the early stages of this year's election season. The situation reversed from Super Tuesday, March 5, when both candidates won big and were almost certain to win the party's nomination.
Since then, Mr. Trump has only had two campaign events in Georgia and Ohio. He canceled the event in Arizona to support senatorial candidate Bernie Moreno. Besides the primary election in Florida on March 19, Mr. Trump did not attend any campaign last week. He played golf and held political meetings to raise funds.
Meanwhile, President Biden's campaign is more active. He and his deputy Kamala Harris traveled to important battleground states together, holding more than 10 events in Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan and Texas.
Former US President Donald Trump in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16. Image: AFP
Political strategist Charlie Kolean is not surprised that Mr. Trump has not campaigned much since gathering enough delegates to receive the Republican nomination, in the context that his campaign has limited financial resources and a veteran. The president also has to deal with legal scandals.
"I think this is a deliberate choice," Kolean said and does not believe that President Biden can gain an advantage over Mr. Trump, as the Republican candidate will find a way to adapt and adjust his campaign strategy accordingly. better with the new situation.
“I believe you will see this happen. That is, Mr. Trump will be more restrained and friendly when interviewing the media. When campaigning, he will act more strategically,” Kolean said.
Sources familiar with the matter say Mr. Trump currently plans to only campaign on weekends in strategic states near New York, such as Pennsylvania, or to some areas that support Republican candidates outside of Manhattan. Trump will give radio and television interviews from Trump Tower, where he will stay during his trial.
Supporters and political experts believe that Trump will seek attention in another way, to limit the negative impact of his busy court schedule and tighter campaign budget.
“Mr. Trump's campaign stopped organizing large events to save money. But Mr. Trump's name still appears on the front pages of newspapers every day. Therefore, even when not campaigning, his recognition is still high," said Dan Eberhart, a longtime Republican donor.
Mr. Trump's campaign had 42 million USD at the beginning of March and they are trying to accumulate to compete with their opponents, when the Democratic budget has reached about 3 million USD.
"Not appearing at many rallies also benefits Trump, as he avoids being in the spotlight and does not give interviews to the press every day," Eberhart added, mentioning the possibility that the former president The president may "accidentally" alienate neutral voters from him. “It is clear that the former president's position in the polls will not be affected.”
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