The intersection of ex-President Donald Trump’s legal troubles and his potential 2024 election bid is deepening, with indications that his leading position in GOP polls serves dual purposes: funding his defense against criminal charges and evading prosecution.
Reports emerged that Trump’s leadership Political Action Committee (PAC), which primarily raises money from small donations, has utilized over $40 million on legal expenses for Trump and his associates. These revelations coincided with Trump’s intensification of claims that President Joe Biden aims to arrest him to prevent a potential return to the White House.
Many of Trump’s competitors hesitate to openly critique his legal quagmire for fear of upsetting his base. However, some have begun expressing concerns following recent charges against Trump in the classified documents case and his own predictions of upcoming indictments relating to investigations into efforts to overturn the 2020 election and a similar effort in Georgia.
Chris Christie, former New Jersey Governor, has criticized Trump for using donor contributions to cover his legal costs, while former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has attempted to balance her critique of Trump with efforts not to antagonize his support base. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also slowly voicing his criticism of Trump, although he remains cautious not to damage his own campaign, told CNN.
As Trump’s legal challenges cast a shadow over the Republican race, the current administration is taking measures to appeal to voters. Among them, were the launch of a beta website for a new federal student loan payment system and increased campaigning by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump’s legal issues continue to dominate the Republican race, with new charges brought against him last week for mishandling classified documents post-presidency. Despite the legal jeopardy, Trump remains the frontrunner in GOP polls.
The extent to which Trump’s 2024 campaign intertwines with his legal defense became apparent with news about his PAC’s expenditure. The PAC, Save America, has spent over $40 million on legal fees since the start of this year, more than double the amount spent on legal fees in all of 2022.
Trump’s team is robustly defending these expenses as necessary for fighting “actions by Joe Biden’s cronies” and for preventing innocent people from facing financial ruin. Furthermore, Trump’s team is also setting up a legal defense fund, called the Patriot Legal Defense Fund Inc., which will cover legal bills of Trump’s current and former aides and employees.
As Trump’s legal challenges mount, his fundraising operations send out multiple appeals daily to supporters. On Sunday, a joint appeal from the Trump campaign and Save America PAC asked supporters to stand with Trump at this “pivotal moment in the election.”
These legal developments are only part of Trump’s legal woes. Trump is set to face trial in Manhattan in March on over 30 counts related to business fraud from a pre-2016 election payment to an adult film actress. Moreover, Trump is expected to learn by the end of August if he or his associates will face charges in Fulton County, Georgia, for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
