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Is Trump a convicted felon? He will soon be the first president of the USA
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Is Trump a convicted felon? He will soon be the first president of the USA

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Donald Trump the winner was declared 2024 US presidential election. After defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump will serve a second term in the White House as the 47th President of the United States.

Despite being president-elect, Trump still faces criminal charges related to interference in the 2016 presidential election. What does this mean, and how will his status as a convicted felon affect his presidency? Here’s what we know.

What does “convicted felon” mean?

A convicted felon is anyone who has been found guilty of a felony – a category of crime that is more serious in nature and usually comes with greater penalties.

In most cases, being a convicted felon has significant implications for US citizens that vary by state. For example, such beliefs can prevent people from voting and applying for certain jobs and loans.

Is Trump a convicted felon? What was Trump convicted of?

One historic six-week trial in may trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records after reputable witnesses presented evidence that he covered up hush money payments to a porn star to cover up another crime. The jury of 12 made the decision unanimously.

They alleged that Trump falsified records to conceal illegal interference in the 2016 presidential election by making the $130,000 payment, making the falsification charges felonies. The crime carries a sentence of up to four years in prison, but legal experts previously told USA TODAY which Trump is likely to get probation only or a shorter sentence.

Sentencing was originally scheduled for July 11, but New York Judge Juan Merchan granted his adjournment after Trump’s lawyers asked for more time to overturn the decision through the Supreme Court on July 1community decision — that shields Trump from prosecution related to some actions he took as president as they relate to his interference in the 2016 federal election.

The criminal sentence was then dismissed a second time, as Merchan justified his delay in order to maintain his neutrality in the presidential election. Trump is scheduled to appear in court for the highly anticipated sentencing on November 26.

Can a convicted felon be president of the USA?

With just weeks to go before the 2024 US presidential election, people have accepted social media to question Trump’s legitimacy to run for office once again after being found guilty of 34 felony charges in New York state.

Neither the 14th Amendment nor any other part of the Constitution prohibits felons from taking office, one expert said. USA TODAY. The section referenced in the post bars anyone who has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and “engaged in insurrection” from taking office, but a March Supreme Court decision requires Congress to act to enforce it .

Did Trump vote as a convicted felon?

Yes. Trump lives in Florida, where it is usually difficult to vote as a convicted felon. However, for those convicted in other states, it approximates the laws of the state where the individual was prosecuted.

reports CNN Trump was allowed to vote in Palm Beach under a 2021 New York law that gives convicted felons the right to vote as long as they are not incarcerated at the time of the election.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed Trump’s right to vote months before the election. If there had been problems, DeSantis said he would have seen the state Parole Board remove any barriers to Trump’s ability to vote, according to Politico.

“The bottom line is that Donald Trump’s vote this November will be one of millions that prove Florida is now a solid Republican state!” the governor of Florida wrote on X in May.

Is Trump the first criminal president?

Yes, Trump is the first convicted felon to win a US presidential election. The Republican politician drew even more support after his felony convictions than in the 2016 race before the trial.

“It’s remarkable how intense his loyal support remains,” said Marc Shortwho was former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff. Pence refused to endorse Trump and criticized him over the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Trump’s senior campaign adviser, Tim Murtaugh, said the criminal charges Trump still faces — which his supporters see as political persecution despite not being politically motivated — have blunted criticism of the former president as vengeful leader who would seek retribution on his enemies.

“That’s exactly what his political opponents are doing to him right now,” Murtaugh said.

Trump is also the first former president to be convicted of a felony and the second convicted felon to run for president. Over a century ago, socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs ran for president for the fifth time. Debs was in an Atlanta prison for sedition during the 1920 election, serving a ten-year sentence for speaking out against the country’s involvement in World War I, Smithsonian Magazine reports

Former governor of Texas. Rick Perry He ran for president alongside Trump in the 2016 Republican primary after being indicted two years earlier on charges of malfeasance and coercion of a public official, but dropped out of the race a few months after the primary.

7 things you can’t do as a convicted felon

The rights of those convicted of crimes vary by state. In cases like Florida, the state in which a person was convicted can be just as important as the state of residence. Black Law Dictionary lists the following rights that a convicted felon risks losing in the US:

  • vote
  • trips abroad
  • carry or possess firearms
  • is part of a jury
  • work in certain fields
  • they receive public social benefits and housing
  • receive parental benefits

— USA TODAY contributed to this report.