Stormy Daniels scandal: Can Donald Trump still run for president?

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Web Desk
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Former US President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon arrival at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California on  October 18, 2020. — AFP
Former US President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon arrival at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California on  October 18, 2020. — AFP

As news of former US President Donald Trump’s indictment in relation to the payment of hush money to a porn star prior to his 2016 campaign spread, people had one major question: Can Trump still run for President?

Simplistically speaking, there's nothing in the US constitution that prevents Trump from continuing his election campaign, according to BBC.

In fact, Trump could run for president and win an election even if he were jailed. However, that being said, it is important to note that a long legal battle and a court trial will invariably hinder the former president’s future campaign, especially as the next US elections are set to be conducted in 2024.

Stormy scandal

A jury in New York on Thursday indicted Trump. That is to say, the jury believes there is “enough evidence to bring criminal charges against him”.

The exact nature of the charges will likely be revealed when the former president appears before a judge in Manhattan, which may be on Tuesday.

While the charges have not yet been made public, the jury has spent weeks hearing evidence regarding hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The incident occurred before Trump was elected president.