The first case of a criminal nature against a former president

Former US President Donald Trump this Monday became the first person in his country’s history to sit in the dock for a criminal trial, a situation that for anyone else would be a stain on his resume, but that seems to be the case for him. opposite of this.

What is the reason for the lawsuit?

Trump faced a lawsuit for irregular payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels during his last election campaign in 2016, when he is already the Republican nominee for the next presidential election on November 5, in the absence of official confirmation, and then With a very strict judicial calendar. ,

Judicial pressure on Trump also affects his property. face significant legal expenses And he has already suffered two setbacks through civil proceedings in a defamation suit and a fraud suit against his company, in which the bail bonds alone cost more than $300 million to be able to appeal.

Why is jury selection important?

The trial begins with jury selection, a moment that in other trials is a mere procedure but in this case already has a political charge. As in any judicial process, the 12 members of the jury must demonstrate that In fact they have no prejudice against the accused Nor are preconceived notions that might cloud their judgment, something difficult with a divisive personality like Donald Trump.

Jury selection could take up to two weeks, with potential members undergoing investigation by the defense and the prosecutor’s office, which will investigate, for example, whether any of them have volunteered in campaigns for or against Trump. It is more difficult to assess issues such as whether his feelings toward the accused may have influenced his decisions.

Newspaper the new York Times He assured a few days ago that the prosecutor’s office gives preference to jurors with university studies, who are believed to have progressive opinions that are closer to the Democratic Party, and therefore more critical of the former Republican president. Are.

opposite of this, Defense will depend on civilians and security forces like police and firefighters -where conservative sensibilities abound- and even sanitation workers, as well as people who have had negative experiences with the judicial system.

Why is there a sanctions rule against Trump?

The judge handling the hottest media case of the decade, Juan Merchan (of Colombian origin), has not hesitated when it comes to granting a gag order against Trump, which is a relatively common tool in the US judicial system in which to restrain someone. Is included. The accused from making public comments – including on social networks – about people involved in their trial.

In the case starting from today, Under this measure, Trump would have to refrain from commenting on witnesses. Prosecutors, jurors and court personnel, as well as their families. The same order was expanded on April 1 to include the judge himself and his family as well as prosecutor Alvin Bragg.

The former President was playing with fire by attacking his network social truth To Lauren Merchan, the magistrate’s daughter, who – she wrote – “makes money working to catch Trump” and said of her father that he was “a true and certified Trump hater with a severe case of paranoid syndrome.” Is suffering” him.

Merchan, like other judges who have ruled against Trump in recent months – including Judge Arthur Angoron’s case – is, according to him, part of a radical leftist conspiracy unleashed against Trumpism.

Will its popularity be affected?

Trump, a marketing whiz who has embraced the sentiments of “fake news” and “witch hunt,” has seen his popularity waver no more than that of his rival, Democratic President Joe Biden, whom he criticizes for his age – 81. Only four more than him – and describes himself as a champion of the “radical left”.

According to the aggregate polls published by The Hill/Decision Desk last Friday, Trump leads Biden by 0.6% nationally, and has been trending upward over the past year, while the Democrat has faced fluctuations with recent gains. Had to do. ,

However, according to another poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Americans are dissatisfied with the work of both in the White House: Biden is criticized for inflation and immigration, and Trump for issues such as abortion, climate change, Is criticized for. , diplomatic relations or electoral security.

At what point is the campaign?

Despite everything, Trump’s progress in the polls is surprising even in his own party: former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele told MSNBC that he considers it “shameful” that citizens elect him and argue That their voters believe it. Can solve all your problems.

At the very least, the real estate giant appears to be able to profit economically from its problems, as it did in August 2023 by marketing products with an angry expression on it along with a photo of its allegation of election interference. His entrepreneurial instincts have led him to take his social networks public.But also to sell special edition sneakers.

Biden campaign and Democrats maintain clear fundraising advantageWith nearly $100 million more than Trump at the end of March, but the Republican candidate is pulling ahead because of billionaire supporters and knowledge of his target audience.

Proof of this was the $50 million raised for the Trump campaign at a lavish event at the mansion of Florida tycoon John Paulson with a hundred guests, including other famous businessmen such as Robert Bigelow, Steve Wynn and Robert Mercer.

A few days earlier, Democrats lauded the $36 million raised at a celebrity-studded event in New York, where Biden joined his predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton while Trump attended the funeral of a young police officer killed in action. Bathed in the Orthodox crowd.

The results of last Saturday remain to be seen, two days before a criminal trial in New York and ten days before the Republican primary in the key state of Pennsylvania, where Trump held a rally and then a campaign event with more donors.