Trump can still run for 2024 even if convicted

Washington: Donald Trump can continue his campaign for another term in the White House even as the beleaguered former US president has been indicted for illegally retaining classified government documents after leaving office in 2021. The cases against Trump raise an intriguing question about his bid to retake the White House in 2024: Can he still become the US president if he's convicted in New York or Florida, or now that he's been found liable in the Carroll case? The short answer, from a legal perspective, is yes, according to experts.

None of the charges would bar Trump from taking office if he is convicted. A trial would take place many months from now, and Trump can freely campaign during this time. “Nothing stops Trump from running while indicted, or even convicted,” the University of California, Los Angeles law professor Richard Hasen told CNN.

The Constitution requires only three things of the candidates: A candidate must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old and a resident of the US for at least 14 years. There are a few other Constitutional restrictions that can block a person from running for president — but they don't apply to Trump. It's pretty widely accepted that the list of qualifications in the Constitution is exclusive — that is, Congress or states can't add qualifications to those listed in the Constitution," said Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Iowa, before Trump's indictment.