Despite the legal challenges he faces, the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump has actually provided a financial windfall for his campaign. According to a statement from the campaign, Trump raised more than $4 million in about 24 hours following the news of his indictment.
This comes after a Yahoo/YouGov poll showed Trump leading Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 57 percent to 31 percent, a huge 26-point lead that tripled the previous result of the same survey just two weeks prior.
The charges against Trump stem from allegations of campaign finance violations related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to cover up their affairs with the former president.
The charges are causing a split among Republicans, with less than half of them confident that Trump did not falsify business records to conceal the payments.
While the financial windfall and poll results may be good news for Trump, the same cannot be said for his prospects of running for president again in the future.
When asked if Trump should be allowed to serve as president again if he is convicted of a crime in this case, just 31 percent of respondents said yes, while 52 percent said no.
Meanwhile, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who financed his campaign with support from left-wing billionaire George Soros, is facing criticism from leading Republicans over the indictment. DeSantis has announced that the state of Florida will not cooperate with any request to extradite Trump after the former president was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury.
DeSantis has called the indictment an “un-American” attempt to use the legal system to advance a political agenda. He accused Bragg of consistently bending the law to downgrade felonies and excuse criminal misconduct, but stretching the law to target a political opponent.
“Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” DeSantis said.
Other Republicans have been similarly critical of the indictment, with Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake tweeting that it would only make Trump stronger. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said in an interview that he had spoken with Trump following the news of the indictment and that the former president was resolute and concerned about what it could mean for America’s brand around the world.
The Secret Service and New York Police Department are expected to play a large role in the process of Trump’s surrender next week, with special accommodations likely being arranged because this indictment involves a former president of the United States.
While the legal battles continue, it remains to be seen how they will ultimately affect Trump’s political future.
