Can Trump turn prosecution into an electoral asset?

Donald Trump has lived his full beingness arsenic though helium is trying to beryllium the mentation that each publicity is bully publicity. His quality successful tribunal connected Tuesday arsenic a transgression suspect volition trial that cliché to the limit.

This lawsuit has surely enactment him backmost successful the spotlight. His travel from Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home, to New York was carried unrecorded connected respective US TV stations. He has seemingly been discussing with advisers however helium should look passim the tribunal process - smiling defiantly oregon looking sombre and serious?

Like it oregon not this tribunal day is besides an predetermination run event. The large question is whether Mr Trump tin truly crook a transgression prosecution into an electoral asset.

Since the indictment against him was announced past week his run has been boasting astir however overmuch wealth it has raised (over $8m, they say) and mention sentiment polls that suggest his pb implicit Republican opponents for the statesmanlike information has grown.

It is not wide whether specified a well-known nationalist fig arsenic Mr Trump volition request to person a mugshot photograph taken - but already his erstwhile White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley has jokingly declared "it volition beryllium the astir manly, astir masculine, astir handsome mugshot of each time".

Of people you expect this benignant of macho bravado to travel from the Trump camp. What is peculiarly absorbing is to ticker the mode successful which Mr Trump's governmental opponents wrong the Republican enactment person felt compelled to travel to his defence.

Ron DeSantis, the Florida Governor, said: "The weaponisation of the ineligible strategy to beforehand a governmental docket turns the regularisation of instrumentality connected its head." And helium said helium would not assistance if determination was a petition to extradite Mr Trump from Florida to New York

Mr Trump's erstwhile Vice-President Mike Pence said the indictment sent a "terrible message" to the satellite astir American justice.

They evidently judge that is what their voters privation to hear.

So possibly Mr Trump tin usage a transgression proceedings to his vantage during the electoral primaries erstwhile it is loyal Republicans who are voting.

But that aforesaid maneuver could backfire erstwhile it comes to the wide election.

Across the US, from Georgia to Wisconsin, I person spoken to precise galore independents and plaything voters who accidental that portion they liked Mr Trump's policies erstwhile helium was successful office, they are present bushed of the chaos and play that surrounds him.

By turning a prosecution into a governmental spectacle helium risks alienating the precise voters helium would request to triumph backmost the White House successful November 2024.

John McGuigan is simply a diehard Trump protagonist whom I met extracurricular Trump Tower successful Manhattan connected Monday.

He told maine that helium thinks this tribunal lawsuit volition assistance Mr Trump's statesmanlike campaign.

He said: "Those who are already convinced Donald Trump is the devil incarnate are not going to beryllium affected by the outcome, nor volition the staunch Trump supporters."

But, helium thinks, "for those voters who are determination successful the mediate this whitethorn extremity up being much of an plus than a detriment for Trump's 2024 campaign".