METRO
As Donald Trump’s fate in the hush money trial lies in the hands of the jury in deliberations, the question looms whether he can still run for president if convicted.
The US Constitution has clear-cut answers for some questions emerging from the first criminal trial of any former or current American president. But it does not directly address others surfacing from Trump’s unprecedented trial.
Regarding whether Trump can continue his presidential campaign to return to the White House if convicted, the answer is explicit within American law.
The US Constitution requires only that a candidate be at least 35 years old, a ‘natural born citizen’ and have lived in America for at least 14 years. It does not place restrictions around a criminal record.
That means Trump would be able to keep running for president if convicted in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Some US states bar people with a felony conviction from pursing state or local office, but there is no such restriction at the federal level.
‘Nothing prevents him from running for president and being elected, even if he is in jail at the time of the election,’ Constitutional Accountability Centre president Elizabeth Wydra told the Los Angeles Times.
Trump has vowed to stay in the presidential race regardless of the outcome of the hush money case.
