Can a convicted felon be president? Here's what the Constitution says
The U.S. Constitution does not prohibit a candidate from running for president — or even from being elected.
Link to Full Article (https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/national-international/can-a-convicted-felon-be-president-election-day/3464310/)
The original version of this story was published on Jan. 30, 2024
Published November 5, 2024 • Updated November 6, 2024
NBC News Miami - Noah Pransky and Mike Gavin
Can a felon run for president?
Questions regarding the ability of a potential convicted felon to run for president were as timely as ever ahead of the 2024 campaign and election. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in May was found guilty on all counts in connection with falsifying records related to a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The U.S. Constitution, however, does not explicitly prohibit a presidential candidate from running for office while under indictment, or even while serving time behind bars.
Eligibility requirements for presidents state only that they must be at least 35 years old, be a natural-born citizen of the United States, and have been a resident of the country for at least 14 years.
So, a criminal record, an orange jumpsuit and being on the wrong side of prison bars would not necessarily prevent an elected candidate from becoming president. It's the voters who have the power to do that.
----------------------------
The article also states that being a felon does not necessarily prohibit a felon from voting. Under Florida Law, felons are not permitted to vote until they have completed their sentence. However, if the felony conviction is from out-of-state, then the state of Florida defers to that state law. Since the cases against Trump in Florida were thrown out, the convictions against him are out-of-state which allowed him to vote in the Presidential election.
Wow. Who the hell is steering this boat? ???
Captain Ahab ?
Quote from: Lori Dee on November 06, 2024, 08:59:35 AMWho the hell is steering this boat?
The guy from the Titanic who didn't see the iceberg.
Let's rub a little salt in those wounds...
When Jan. 6th, 2025 gets here, it is the duty of the Vice President to certify the Electoral Votes submitted by each state.
So, the person to certify the election of Donald Trump will be Kamala Harris.
The same thing happened when Al Gore lost the election. VP Al Gore had to certify the election of George Bush.
:-\
Things might change if President Trump does not do a good job.
Until 1917, lay people sometimes became Roman Catholic cardinals if they pleased the Pope in some way. For example, Pope Leo XII offered to make the Egyptologist Champollion a cardinal in recognition of translations that seemed to corroborate Biblical chronology. Until 1379, non-priests sometimes became popes and it remained a possibility until 1917, as nowadays they they make a point of only electing cardinals. Popes were always clergymen, though. However, the definition of clergy meant people who could read and write (cleric and clerk once meant the same thing). Until the nineteenth century, criminals sometimes avoided punishment by pleading Benefit of Clergy, upon which they had to prove their literacy by e.g. reading a Biblical text. They were then theoretically subject to an ecclesiastical court which in practice rarely got around to hearing the case. Rhode Island abolished Benefit of Clergy in 2013 (spoilsports).
Still, I think that we should grant President Trump, if not the benefit of the doubt, at least Benefit of Clergy, as he can read and write.
He can, can't he?
Quote from: Lori Dee on November 06, 2024, 08:59:35 AMThe U.S. Constitution, however, does not explicitly prohibit a presidential candidate from running for office while under indictment, or even while serving time behind bars.
Which is just all kinds of weird. Maybe y'all need to change the rules. But what happened... happened. Reality TV over actual reality.
I can only hope you folks remember why you got sick of him last time. Sooner rather than later.
Quote from: Sephirah on November 08, 2024, 04:16:35 PMWhich is just all kinds of weird. Maybe y'all need to change the rules. But what happened... happened. Reality TV over actual reality.
I can only hope you folks remember why you got sick of him last time. Sooner rather than later.
Although the Constitution does not prohibit him from running, or even winning the election, he can be impeached on Day One for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors". It is certainly inappropriate for a convicted felon to be the top law enforcement officer in the nation. I think it says a lot about the people who elected him to that position.
Quote from: Lori Dee on November 08, 2024, 04:59:28 PMAlthough the Constitution does not prohibit him from running, or even winning the election, he can be impeached on Day One for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors". It is certainly inappropriate for a convicted felon to be the top law enforcement officer in the nation. I think it says a lot about the people who elected him to that position.
No argument on that, Lori. None whatsoever. I think it's a very... dubious day in the history of the world. I doubt he will be though. I was talking to someone just the other day who said he's basically made himself into a martyr. And I think that's probably true. Two assassination attempts which, if you believe some folks... he arranged to add to this image. The more ridiculous he is, the more people in the US seem to love him. Which is... worrying. I watched news headlines literally saying that the US and parts of the wider world in general were preparing for riots and violence, should he lose. That kind of says it all. It's hard to not compare him to someone like Hitler, because Hitler incited a similar kind of fervour. A similar kind of zeal. He had the same gift for populism.
He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty Donald.
I watched one of your presidential debates and Kamala really never stood a chance. Compared to Trump, she had the charisma of a soggy lettuce. She spent most of the time in a state of abject disbelief. Her whole demeanour was "Am I really stood on the same stage as this clown?" He didn't win, she lost. I've heard from some close friends over there and they talked about people only voted Trump because she offered basically nothing. Being normal has nothing to do with elections, apparently. That and she came in basically at the last minute. She never stood a chance. She was not the reality TV star that he is. And I know I keep saying this, but that's what it boils down to. Trump is a character. You don't vote republican, you vote Trump. The Democrats have no one like that. This eccentric, crazy cat man that makes everyone look up from their jug of moonshine. Maybe if they did, it would be different.
All I can do is wish everyone luck. I have a feeling we'll all need it.
You really would have to be a numpty to think the assassination attempt was staged by Trump - to trust a kid with a high powered rifle to hit your ear.. and not blow your head off - is not only improbably, but certainly impossible - and then, to have that 'co-conspirator' executed in front of everyone by a highly trained marksman - is totally sick to suggest as a possibility. I have my own views on Trump and politics in general, but making stuff up is wrong on any level.
Trump is a self promoting, billionaire with a fetish for self adulation - That is not comparable to a far right dictator who wanted to eradicate everyone in the world who was not in his ideal image. I am getting sick of hearing comparisons of Hitler to Trump - you really should read your history books and see the atrocities our recent ancestors had to deal with before you make glib comparisons...
Whilst I see myself as a liberal, and would of voted democrat myself in this election if aliens like myself had a vote (which we don't).. The last 4 years in the USA have seen the cost of living escalate to mountainous proportions - to the extent that me and my husband now spend $600 a month of grocery.. we 'aint eating steak every night either - that is me cooking a meal each day and feeding 2 humans, 2 cats and a dog.. seriously a loaf of bread is $5 and a quart of milk $4... One thing that Trump is for is America - make it in America, use American work force and not allow communist, slave driving countries to supply the nation and get rich.. instead make your own wealth... this is MORE the reasons he won than the extreamist cult following weirdo's that get front page press.. they are a minor, minority... not the general sensible American public who voted for who they thought was the best candidate. Not a dictator, not a demon or a god... so - get things into context before spouting off regurgitated rhetoric.
Quote from: SoupSarah on November 08, 2024, 08:46:38 PMTrump is a self promoting, billionaire with a fetish for self adulation - That is not comparable to a far right dictator who wanted to eradicate everyone in the world who was not in his ideal image.
There is a reason Trump focused his campaigns on his far-right, xenophobic, White supremacist male followers. Part of what you say is accurate. These followers oppose migrant workers taking their jobs (a myth spread by Trump). He will work on jobs and the economy which also aligns with his followers. His followers care about gun rights, but not abortions. Most of his followers do not care about LGBTQ rights. And most of them are not smart enough to research anything to learn the truth. They do not hold him accountable for all of the lies that have been exposed by fact-checkers, but instead blindly regurgitate the same drivel. It might not be a cult, but pretty close to one.
Now, without looking at the atrocities he accomplished during his first term in office, let's hear from the man himself what he plans to do with us in the Transgender Community, (the super minor, minority that he bashed at every campaign rally):
President Trump's Agenda 47 in his own words (https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/president-trumps-plan-to-protect-children-from-left-wing-gender-insanity)
His entire Agenda 47 is about taking control like Hitler did after being elected. Promising to fix the economy, create jobs, and make Germany great again. And then he used Emergency Powers to make himself a dictator. I see a great deal of similarity.
Hmmm.. Over 400,000 American servicemen died trying to stop Hitler and his dictatorious regime from taking over the world. To compare a western, modern politician that has been fairly elected to this evil person is short sighted and played for only shock value to emphasise your hatred. It also, I feel, gives a lot more credibility to Trump as some master manipulator.. and more importantly I feel it is a disservice to all those who fought, opposed and died trying to stop the tyrannical dictatorship of the 1940's to compare him to a damp squib of a celebrity president in the 21st Century.
Labelling people who voted or support a presidential candidate as 'not smart' is stereotyping over half the population and elevating yourself as superior. That is not pretty or useful. I am convinced that half the population of the USA are not idiots.. That most are honest, hard working people who want the best for their families.. Whilst I don't agree with the result of the election and would of personally wanted the other candidate to win (A woman in the Whitehouse would be epic) I can't deny that the majority of the USA wants this guy as their president and that they fully understand what and who they are voting for...
I guess what I am saying is twofold - don't believe all the hype and rhetoric you read on the internet and, seriously, do you think it ACTUALLY makes a difference who is in the presidential chair - if you do, go read Obamas' autobiography.. I think it will change your mind as to who actually makes the decisions around here.
Quote from: SoupSarah on November 08, 2024, 08:46:38 PMYou really would have to be a numpty to think the assassination attempt was staged by Trump - to trust a kid with a high powered rifle to hit your ear.. and not blow your head off - is not only improbably, but certainly impossible - and then, to have that 'co-conspirator' executed in front of everyone by a highly trained marksman - is totally sick to suggest as a possibility. I have my own views on Trump and politics in general, but making stuff up is wrong on any level.
Trump is a self promoting, billionaire with a fetish for self adulation - That is not comparable to a far right dictator who wanted to eradicate everyone in the world who was not in his ideal image. I am getting sick of hearing comparisons of Hitler to Trump - you really should read your history books and see the atrocities our recent ancestors had to deal with before you make glib comparisons...
Whilst I see myself as a liberal, and would of voted democrat myself in this election if aliens like myself had a vote (which we don't).. The last 4 years in the USA have seen the cost of living escalate to mountainous proportions - to the extent that me and my husband now spend $600 a month of grocery.. we 'aint eating steak every night either - that is me cooking a meal each day and feeding 2 humans, 2 cats and a dog.. seriously a loaf of bread is $5 and a quart of milk $4... One thing that Trump is for is America - make it in America, use American work force and not allow communist, slave driving countries to supply the nation and get rich.. instead make your own wealth... this is MORE the reasons he won than the extreamist cult following weirdo's that get front page press.. they are a minor, minority... not the general sensible American public who voted for who they thought was the best candidate. Not a dictator, not a demon or a god... so - get things into context before spouting off regurgitated rhetoric.
Well that's me told, lol. Yeesh. I bow to your superior expertise. Hopefully he makes a difference to your money over there, regardless of who gets thrown under the bus, and doesn't make too much of a fool of himself in the process, again.
Quote from: SoupSarah on November 08, 2024, 10:22:51 PMLabelling people who voted or support a presidential candidate as 'not smart' is stereotyping over half the population and elevating yourself as superior. That is not pretty or useful. I am convinced that half the population of the USA are not idiots.. That most are honest, hard working people who want the best for their families.. Whilst I don't agree with the result of the election and would of personally wanted the other candidate to win (A woman in the Whitehouse would be epic) I can't deny that the majority of the USA wants this guy as their president and that they fully understand what and who they are voting for...
No one is saying that? I would use the word "desperate". But as we both know, xenophobia, transphobia, all the -phobia... doesn't work. Over half the people in Britain voted for Brexit, and look what a catastrophe that turned out to be. You can't fix a country by pretending the rest of the world is evil, because that's not how the world works.
Quote from: Lori Dee on November 06, 2024, 08:59:35 AMCan a convicted felon be president? Here's what the Constitution says
The U.S. Constitution does not prohibit a candidate from running for president — or even from being elected.
Link to Full Article (https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/national-international/can-a-convicted-felon-be-president-election-day/3464310/)
The original version of this story was published on Jan. 30, 2024
Published November 5, 2024 • Updated November 6, 2024
NBC News Miami - Noah Pransky and Mike Gavin
Can a felon run for president?
Questions regarding the ability of a potential convicted felon to run for president were as timely as ever ahead of the 2024 campaign and election. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in May was found guilty on all counts in connection with falsifying records related to a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The U.S. Constitution, however, does not explicitly prohibit a presidential candidate from running for office while under indictment, or even while serving time behind bars.
Eligibility requirements for presidents state only that they must be at least 35 years old, be a natural-born citizen of the United States, and have been a resident of the country for at least 14 years.
So, a criminal record, an orange jumpsuit and being on the wrong side of prison bars would not necessarily prevent an elected candidate from becoming president. It's the voters who have the power to do that.
----------------------------
The article also states that being a felon does not necessarily prohibit a felon from voting. Under Florida Law, felons are not permitted to vote until they have completed their sentence. However, if the felony conviction is from out-of-state, then the state of Florida defers to that state law. Since the cases against Trump in Florida were thrown out, the convictions against him are out-of-state which allowed him to vote in the Presidential election.
Wow. Who the hell is steering this boat? ???
I don't usually get into this, however, you do realize that under New York law a person is not convicted until the
sentencing is handed down? At this point Donald Trump isn't convicted of anything yet because he has not been sentenced. So he can't be called a convicted felon because he hasn't been convicted yet. (Also there is the question of what crimes he did, because the jury never filled in the paperwork on what they found him guilty on—-they left that part of the paper blank.)
CNN - While Florida generally makes it challenging for people in the state with felony convictions to regain their voting rights, former President Donald Trump had no issue casting a ballot for himself Tuesday in Palm Beach.
Trump was convicted in Manhattan earlier this year of 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to hush money payments before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The first former US president convicted of a felony, Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on November 26.
Under Florida law, if a voter has an out-of-state conviction, Florida will defer to that state's laws for how a felon can regain his or her voting rights.
For Trump, that means he will benefit from a 2021 New York law that allows people with felony convictions to vote as long as they're not serving a term of incarceration at the time of the election.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/05/politics/can-trump-vote-2024-election/index.html