A little over a year ago, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced that Donald Trump had been indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
This was historic because it was the first time a former president faced criminal charges. Many thought these charges would end Trump’s chances of becoming president again.
However, as Trump’s trial in New York City comes to an end, it’s clear that this belief was wrong. If Trump wins the White House this fall, it will partly be because of these legal battles, not despite them.
In early 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was closing the gap between himself and Trump in the polls, even leading in some states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and Florida.
But after the Bragg indictment, Trump’s lead over DeSantis grew significantly. The indictment rallied GOP voters around Trump, making his victory in the primary seem inevitable.
The prosecution against Trump has also turned his legal troubles into a political advantage. Of the four sets of charges against him, Bragg’s case is the weakest.
It’s clear that this case, which relies heavily on Michael Cohen’s testimony, wouldn’t be brought against any other American. The trial has shown that the case is more about personal dislike for Trump than about justice.
The media’s extensive coverage of the trial has made this obvious to many Americans. CNN, for example, has been running a program called “Trump Hush Money Trial” during court hours and special reports in the evening.
This constant focus on the trial has made it clear that personal disdain for Trump is driving the case and has raised doubts about the motivations behind the other charges against him.
By flooding the news with allegations against Trump, the Democrats and their media allies have desensitized voters to his actions. If everything Trump does is treated as criminal, then nothing stands out as particularly bad.
Trump’s character flaws are already known to voters, and the trial hasn’t revealed anything new. Instead, it has shown that the attacks on him are more about politics than protecting America’s norms.
This has backfired on the Democrats. Instead of focusing on Joe Biden’s policies and achievements, they have spent the last year celebrating Trump’s legal troubles.
This makes them seem out of touch, especially since Biden is struggling with post-pandemic inflation and foreign policy issues.
Biden is the least popular incumbent president to seek reelection in the last 70 years. If he were a stronger candidate, a single strong case against Trump might have ended Trump’s political career.
But because of Biden’s own failures, the numerous charges against Trump are making Biden look bad too.