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What will Trump’s indictment mean for the 2024 campaign
Jonee' Lewis reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Former President Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom Tuesday following a grand jury’s indictment over hush money paid during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Political analysts say the next steps in the case will likely have an impact on his 2024 presidential campaign.
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"It's really important to remember that the primary season, which happens before the general election, starts in early February," said Dr. Susan MacManus, a University of South Florida distinguished university professor said. "So, any kind of delay in the trial or whatever else, it's going to be a dominant part of this campaign. There's no getting around it."
Support for Trump following the indictment announcement surged. A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll found more than half of Republicans and Republican leaners say they now prefer Trump to be the GOP’s 2024 presidential nominee.
"I think all you can say right now is that you see Republicans, even some who don't really like Trump, thinking that there's a bit of piling on a case that seems a little bit weak to them. So, it's natural," MacManus said. "You have sort of a common opponent that everybody can rally around."
They add if the legal battles dominate the campaign cycle, it could have the opposite effect in the general election.
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"So, I think turnout could be a real problem if all we're talking about for a year and a half is litigation," MacManus said.
Locally, Republicans say the case will be part of their strategy for energizing the base and keeping support for Trump strong throughout his campaign.
"We'll probably get more volunteers than we've ever had signing up to work and support and help," Rod Thomson, a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Sarasota County, said. "You need the foot soldiers out there going door to door, knocking on doors. And, you know, I think that this will really fire up the Republican organization. And that's why I say in that respect, it could backfire."
While it remains to be seen who else might join the race.
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"DeSantis is yet to announce. So, I think a lot of them are calculating Some are counting on the fact that all of this litigation is going to weaken Trump, and this is their shot to win the nomination," MacManus said.
President Joe Biden has not formally announced his candidacy. Political analysts say that will also be a big factor in shaping next year’s election.