It was an ordinary day. Following the stories about President Trump and wondering what he will do about attempting to run once more. Whether you like him or despise him....he had done something wrong and was tried and found guilty for it. And...as the first ex-President to be convicted of crimes, Donald Trump becomes the first who has to negotiate the reality of being a felon in the U.S.A. Can he still run for the Presidency again? Unbelievably he can! A felony conviction will not disqualify Trump from continuing his campaign, even if he were jailed. Hard to believe, but that's the law of the land. If I, as a teacher, was convicted of a crime similar to what Mr. Trump did, I would never be allowed to teach again. No school district would want me to be around children again and chance I do something to one of them. But, I guess that is different than what Mr. Trump did to the United States. Under the constitution, all natural-born citizens who are at least 35 and have been a resident of the U.S. for 14 years can run for President. At least two candidates with criminal convictions have run for President before, albeit unsuccessfully. I guess the majority of the citizens of the United Stats didn't want to chance the same thing happening again in those two cases. And...that's very possible for that to happen if Mr. Trump runs again for President. But, could Mr. Trump still vote? Well...that's to be determined! For Trump to lose his voting rights, he would need to be incarcerated at the time of the November election, a scenario that is ethnically possible, but unlikely given his anticipated appeal. In Florida, where Trump lives and has voted since 2020, a felon's eligibility to vote depends on the laws of the state where the conviction occurred--in this instance, New York, which evokes felons' voting rights only while they are incarcerated. Therefore, if Trump receives a probationary sentence and continues to live in Florida, he would maintain his eligibility to vote. Likewise, if his appeal of a jail sentence were to extend beyond the election, he would be able to vote. But...can he travel? Trump's passport will not automatically be seized by the U.S. Government, but he could find it more difficult to travel to some countries. Thirty-seven nations--including Canada and Mexico--bar those with criminal records from entering their borders. The travel restrictions would potentially complicate Trump's presidency if he were to win another term. Some governments could choose to waive the ban, but it's unclear which would do so. As far as the other cases he is currently saddled with...it could influence his strategy and alter the public perception of him and his legal troubles. For instance, the guilty verdict could bolster the prosecution's case in the eyes of the public and legal observers, potentially influencing jury perceptions and trial dynamics. The convictions could also impact Trump's willingness to negotiate plea deals or settlement agreements. Prosecutors may try to use the New York verdicts to undermine Trump's credibility in future trials, and the judges may take the convictions into consideration when determining sentencing. Mr. Trump is facing charges in Florida for allegedly hoarding classified documents and obstructing the government's efforts to retrieve them, in Washington related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and in Georgia in connection with his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election result in that state. One thing is for sure.....Trump was prepared. Mr. Trump has already capitalized on his conviction. His campaign said it raised a stunning $53 million in less than 24 hours. Yet even as he vows to appeal, Trump is shifting from the courtroom to the campaign, to test whether American voters really want to elevate a convicted criminal to the nation's highest office. As for me...well, I'd have to think and think hard about that before I would do so! How would I explain all of that to my children if I had young ones again? And...with all the people in the United States who are worthy and willing to become President...why do we need to have a convicted criminal back in the highest office of our United States? Are we that hard up? I think not!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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