The unfolding drama of Donald Trump’s Criminal Charges is set to make 2024 a landmark year. Norm Eisen, a prominent attorney and former ethics czar for President Barack Obama, predicts that the former President is likely to face jail time. This bold prediction, made on X, formerly known as Twitter, has sparked widespread discussion and speculation.
“Donald Trump is going to be the defendant and the candidate all wrapped into one,” New Yorker journalist Susan Glasser tells FRONTLINE in the documentary. “It’s just unprecedented.”
Trump is currently facing a staggering 91 felony counts across four criminal cases in Washington, New York, Florida, and Georgia. The charges range from plotting to overturn the 2020 election to mishandling classified documents and falsifying business records. If convicted, Trump could potentially spend years in prison.
Eisen’s comments came in response to a clip of his appearance on CNN, where he discussed the criminal prosecutions that Trump is facing as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024. Despite the severity of the charges, Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is pushing to delay the cases until after the November election.
Will Trump be sentenced to jail in 2024?
Likely yes
I was proud of my comprehensive tour of the cases & what will likely happen in them @cnn—both criminal prosecutions & 14A disqualification
Thx @OmarJimenez —& @jeffstorobinsky for the clip https://t.co/s7CucKEw9v
— Norm Eisen (norm.eisen on Threads) (@NormEisen) February 5, 2024
One of the cases, postponed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, charges Trump with plotting to overturn the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Eisen referred to the postponement as “a temporary win for Trump.”
Trump’s legal team is expected to appeal a ruling that would allow the case to move forward, arguing that he is immune from prosecution for actions he took in the White House. Eisen, however, believes that this argument will not hold up in court. He stated, “The D.C. Circuit is going to reject that… I don’t think that’s going to fly at the Supreme Court. It’s inimical to American law.”
Eisen is confident that the case will get back on track and likely conclude before the presidential election. He said, “That case is going to be switched back on over the summer, and I think it’s going to go and be concluded most likely.”
The charges against Trump in the case have maximum sentences ranging from five to 20 years in prison. However, a separate prosecution in New York charging Trump in connection with hush money payments to a porn actor will likely be the first to go to trial.
“Former president Donald Trump said on Saturday he will remain in the 2024 presidential race even if he faces criminal charges in the ongoing investigations into his handling of White House documents and alleged 2020 election tampering.”
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in that case.
“Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records. In a post on his Truth Social platform after the hearing, Trump said his rights to free speech had been violated. ‘They forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of the Primary season,’ Trump wrote in the post.”
Another case charges Trump with mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and repeatedly obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. The most serious charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
In Georgia, Trump faces charges over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election result. The charges include an alleged violation of Georgia’s Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
As the legal battles unfold, the world watches with bated breath to see how this unprecedented situation will impact the political landscape in 2024. As Eisen aptly put it, “No guarantees in the law, no crystal balls they give you in law school.” Only time will tell what the future holds for Trump.