Ex-President Donald Trump has been convicted of sexual assault. This has far-reaching consequences for the American.
(Photo: AP)
At first glance, the guilty verdict in a rape trial against Donald Trump has no impact on the US election campaign. The former US President has to pay journalist E. Jean Carroll five million dollars for sexual abuse and defamation. The court decided that.
That shouldn’t scare his followers: After all, almost 20 years ago, Trump boasted that women “let everything be done to them” when they are famous. He can also count on his party’s support as long as he tops Republican polls and fundraising rankings.
A turnaround is possible
But together with other problems, the verdict could actually herald a turnaround. Never before has an ex-president been convicted, and doubtful major donors now have an excuse to turn their backs on Trump.
Trump will also soon have direct competition: Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, wants to enter the race for the candidacy in May. Trump will have to assert himself more than ever and offers a new target for attack with the latest guilty verdict.
Trump’s advisors are already testing a new strategy: the ex-president appeared on Wednesday in a town hall broadcast by CNN – a station that Trump otherwise condemns as the spearhead of a “left-wing mob”. Trump ventured out of his filter bubble and now seems to want to woo moderate Republicans and independents.
New strategy with no chance of success
However, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that he will succeed. A criminal case in New York, which has much more legal weight than the civil case against Carroll, is already underway. Two charges could be brought in the fall in connection with the storming of the Capitol. A single verdict changes little, Trump’s constant defensive struggle with the judiciary could damage him permanently.
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