Trump Indicted Again for Attempting to Overturn Election Results... Could It Become a Factor in the US Presidential Election?

US Federal Grand Jury Indicts on 4 Charges
Third Indictment Including Classified Document Leak
Leading Republican Candidate Faces Major Variable in Presidential Race

Former U.S. President Donald Trump was indicted on the 1st (local time) for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. This is related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot incident. With this indictment, Trump has been charged for the third time. It is expected to become a significant variable that will affect his future presidential campaign as a leading Republican candidate ahead of next year's election.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump [Photo by Reuters]

According to The Washington Post (WP) and others, the federal grand jury decided to indict former President Trump on four charges that day. The indictment states that Trump attempted to obstruct the official election process and conspired to prevent votes and ballots from being counted, thereby defrauding the United States and acting against the voting rights of Americans.

The federal prosecutors pointed out in the indictment, "For more than two months after Election Day on November 3, 2020, the defendant continuously lied, engaging in fraudulent acts that affected the election results, claiming that he was the actual winner of the election." They added, "These claims were false, and the defendant was aware they were false. However, the defendant deliberately spread such information to make the false claims appear legitimate, creating an atmosphere of distrust and anger, thereby undermining public confidence in election administration."

Regarding this indictment, former President Trump is scheduled to appear in court on the 3rd. With this indictment, Trump has now been charged three times for violations of federal law, including the illegal leaking and possession of classified documents. He was first indicted in June on charges related to leaking classified documents, and last month he was additionally indicted for ordering a staff member to delete evidence videos at his Florida residence related to the illegal removal of classified documents.

Among current and former U.S. presidents, Trump is the first to be indicted in federal court. This indictment is particularly regarded as a significant variable that will affect Trump's future presidential campaign. With no clear alternative candidate within the Republican Party and overwhelming support from Republican voters for Trump, he is highly likely to be chosen as the party's candidate for next year's election. In this situation, the Democratic Party has announced that current President Joe Biden will run for re-election.

Accordingly, the 2024 U.S. presidential election is increasingly likely to be a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump. According to a poll conducted by The New York Times (NYT) and Siena College from the 23rd to the 27th of last month, surveying 1,329 voters and released that day, 43% of respondents said they would support either President Biden or former President Trump in the 2024 election, resulting in a tie.

Given these circumstances, Trump's side issued a statement after the indictment, claiming that this indictment is a politically motivated investigation by the Biden administration targeting the leading Republican presidential candidate, and questioned why the indictment was made now, two years after the January 6 Capitol riot incident.

WP reported, "Former President Trump faces tremendous difficulties," and "As the leading Republican presidential candidate for next year, he is expected to conduct court hearings and criminal trials alongside political campaigning over the coming months."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.