US Election 2024: Can Donald Trump Still Run and Be President?
- A New York jury has found Donald Trump guilty in a hush-money case, making him the first former US president to be convicted of a crime
- Trump served as the president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and is eyeing a second term
- Following his conviction on Thursday, May 30, some people have asked if he is still eligible to run for the presidency
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering global news.
Washington, USA - On Thursday, May 30, Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes.
A New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to an adult film actress, Stormy Daniels, who said the two had a romantic relationship.
Source: Getty Images
It is not yet clear if Trump will be sent to prison following the guilty verdict.
Trump is expected to quickly appeal the verdict and will face an awkward dynamic as he seeks to return to the campaign trail after being found guilty.
Trump: Can a convicted felon run for president?
Already, Trump has secured the Republican presidential nomination and is scheduled to be crowned at the party's convention just days after his sentencing.
Ahead of the 2024 United States presidential election slated for November, the question on the lip of many is, can a convicted felon run for president?
According to CNN, Trump, 77, can contest.
No part of the American constitution says people who have been convicted of crimes can't run for president, NBC News noted.
The constitution sets out three main requirements for being eligible to become president - and none of them reference being a convicted criminal.
Candidates must have been born in the US, be over 35, and have lived in the US for at least 14 years.
Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Progressive Constitutional Accountability Centre, told the LA Times:
"Nothing prevents him from running for president and being elected, even if he is in jail at the time of the election."
Trump's conviction: Similar past cases
At least two candidates with criminal convictions have run for president in the past - although neither was successful.
Eugene Debs ran for president from prison in 1920, getting almost a million votes without ever hitting the campaign trail.
In 1992, Lyndon LaRouche also ran from behind bars while serving a 15-year sentence for mail fraud. He received about 26,000 votes.
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US election: Trump, Biden set for rematch
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Joe Biden, the United States president, and his predecessor, Trump, were elected by members of their parties to contest the November presidential election in the country.
The primaries were conducted in the four states of one American territory and democrats living abroad.
Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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