In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, adult film actor Stormy Daniels made a startling claim: Donald Trump doesn’t actually want to be President of the United States. She believes he desires to be a king, sitting on his ‘gold-toilet throne’ and ruling with an iron fist. Daniels suggested that Trump remains in the race for the presidency solely out of ego, unable to admit defeat.
This statement comes amidst an increasingly chaotic US election campaign and a looming legal battle for Trump. He was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment made to Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Trump denies any wrongdoing and insists he never had a sexual encounter with Daniels, as she claims.
However, a federal appeals court recently rejected Trump’s request to halt postconviction proceedings in this case. Sentencing was initially scheduled for September but has been delayed until after the elections, a move that could potentially lead to a dismissal of the case altogether. Trump will now face sentencing on November 26.
The implications of these legal developments are significant. If Trump were to win a second term in office, the Justice Department could dismiss the Special Counsel and effectively end the cases against him. Furthermore, Judge Juan Merchan is expected to rule on Trump’s request to overturn the verdict on presidential immunity grounds by November 12.
Falsifying business records carries a potential sentence of up to four years behind bars, but other options include probation, a fine, or a conditional discharge, which would require Trump to avoid further legal trouble to avoid additional punishment. The outcome of this case, as well as the upcoming US elections, will have profound impacts on the political landscape and the future of Donald Trump’s presidency.