Local expert speaks on Trump’s charges, bid for White House

MID-MICHIGAN (WNEM) - Donald Trump, who is running for president in 2024, has become the first former president to face criminal charges.

Trump is expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday, April 4. He’s accused of paying hush money to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence rumors of Trump cheating on his wife with Daniels. Trump is calling the indictment “political persecution” and denies any wrongdoing.

Paul Rozycki, a local retired political science professor, spoke on whether these charges will impact Trump’s bid for the White House.

“Politically, it’s going to have some interesting effects,” Rozycki said.

Rozycki said Thursday’s indictment against Trump will both help and hinder his chances to reclaim the presidency.

“On one hand, it may rally his strongest supporters around him again, he’ll play the victim, and claim he was being attacked politically and all that. And that may strengthen him in some ways and get him more attention than he otherwise might have gotten,” Rozycki said. “On the other hand, politically, I think it’s going to do him a lot of damage with independents, certainly with Democrats, obviously.”

Rozycki said about 30 to 40 percent of Republican voters staunchly support Trump, and Rozycki believes Trump’s backing won’t waver in the face of this indictment, something that could win Trump the Republican nomination.

Rozycki also pointed out there are a lot of voters experiencing what he calls “Trump fatigue,” and he said the indictment won’t help.

“Ironically, this may help him win the primary, but it may hurt him in the general election in 2024,” Rozycki said.

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