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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Former President Donald Trump was the first U.S. President to be impeached twice. He was also the first person to be elected to the nation’s highest office with no prior military or political office experience. Could Trump also become the first convicted felon to be elected president in American history?
A Manhattan grand jury voted on Thursday to indict the 45th president. While the specific felony charges remain sealed, the indictment follows an investigation into payments made during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an alleged extramarital affair.
Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, questions are buzzing about what this means for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. The former president may have the determination, but can he legally be elected if he is a convicted felon?
The short answer is yes.
The U.S. Constitution states three requirements for serving as president: being at least 35 years of age, a natural born citizen and having been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. There are no provisions in the Constitution regarding a presidential candidate’s criminal history, meaning an individual who has been charged or convicted of a crime is not barred from holding the highest office in the nation.
Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Iowa, weighed in on the matter, ahead of Trump’s indictment.
“It’s pretty widely accepted that the list of qualifications in the Constitution is exclusive — that is, Congress or states can’t add qualifications to those listed in the Constitution,” Muller said to CBS News. “It’s something that really doesn’t affect your ability to run as a candidate, to appear on the ballot, or to even win the election.
https://www.silive.com/politics/2023/03/can-a-convicted-a-felon-become-a-us-president.html
A Manhattan grand jury voted on Thursday to indict the 45th president. While the specific felony charges remain sealed, the indictment follows an investigation into payments made during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an alleged extramarital affair.
Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, questions are buzzing about what this means for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. The former president may have the determination, but can he legally be elected if he is a convicted felon?
The short answer is yes.
The U.S. Constitution states three requirements for serving as president: being at least 35 years of age, a natural born citizen and having been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. There are no provisions in the Constitution regarding a presidential candidate’s criminal history, meaning an individual who has been charged or convicted of a crime is not barred from holding the highest office in the nation.
Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Iowa, weighed in on the matter, ahead of Trump’s indictment.
“It’s pretty widely accepted that the list of qualifications in the Constitution is exclusive — that is, Congress or states can’t add qualifications to those listed in the Constitution,” Muller said to CBS News. “It’s something that really doesn’t affect your ability to run as a candidate, to appear on the ballot, or to even win the election.
https://www.silive.com/politics/2023/03/can-a-convicted-a-felon-become-a-us-president.html