Former President Donald Trump’s political career has been mired in controversy, scandalous accusations and criminal allegations since his 2016 presidential bid. Trump is currently facing four indictments stemming from incidents during and after his presidency. Although Trump is facing over 37 different felony charges, he is still entirely eligible and entitled to run for the presidential ballot in 2024.
According to Article II, section one of the United States Constitution, Trump meets the three main requirements to run for presidential office, as he is over 35 years old, a natural-born citizen and has legally lived in the U.S. for over 14 years. He has also served a presidential term, illustrating his public support and ability to serve the American people.
Many critics argue that the former president “cheated” in his 2016 election win, although no felonies or criminal charges have been brought against Trump in regard to the election. Earlier this year, Manhattan attorneys failed to prove that Trump was guilty of providing “hush money” to several accomplices for alleged sexual encounters during his 2016 run for president. However, a court date for this indictment is scheduled for May of next year, potentially threatening the legitimacy of his bid.
As of right now, however, Trump abided by federal laws during his 2016 run for president. Another criticism of Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory stems from the Electoral College’s role in the ballot box. Despite Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s popular vote majority during the 2016 election, Trump won the electoral majority with 304 votes compared to Clinton’s 227 electoral votes. Although many dislike the use of the Electoral College, as they believe that it infringes on American citizens’ constitutional voting rights, the Constitution clearly states in Article II, section 1, clause 3 that “the person having the greatest number of votes shall be the president, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if they’re being more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes.” Therefore, since Trump ran in and won the 2016 election in a fair and constitutional manner, there should not be any limitations on his 2024 bid for president based on that election.
Another controversy impeding Trump’s run for presidency is the treason charges brought against him concerning the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building. According to the Constitution, any person who incites rebellion or insurrection against the U.S. government or any of its institutions thereby commits treason against the United States. However, little evidence has been presented which shows that Trump directly advocated for an insurrection against the U.S. government. Thus, without a clear link between Trump and Jan. 6 and with his trial dates set many months in the future, he should be allowed to enter the 2024 presidential election.
