This week, Trump’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told the New York Times that the former president “believes anyone convicted of a crime should spend time behind bars.”
Leavitt’s comment came in response to the re-conviction of Jamie Davidson, a case in which Trump had previously commuted the sentence. Davidson had been convicted of domestic violence, a crime Trump had chosen to pardon in 2021.
Ironically, Trump’s own legal troubles seem to conflict with his stance. In May, Trump was convicted by a Manhattan jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the Stormy Daniels hush-money case. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18.
When NBC News asked Leavitt whether Trump’s belief in punishing criminals would extend to himself, she deflected by highlighting differences in policy, saying, “President Trump believes criminals should spend time behind bars, unlike Kamala Harris, who wants to eliminate cash bail.”
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Despite his conviction, Trump insists his legal battles are politically motivated and that he has done nothing wrong. He attempted to transfer his hush-money case to federal court, but that request was denied by a federal judge. Trump’s legal team is currently challenging this decision in the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals.
Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung stated that Trump’s defense team will “continue to fight to move this hoax into federal court where it should be put out of its misery once and for all.”
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who ruled against the transfer, noted that Trump’s case involves “private, unofficial acts” outside of his executive authority, thus not covered by presidential immunity.
Trump’s team is also seeking to delay sentencing in the hush-money trial until after the 2024 presidential election. Judge Juan Merchan is expected to rule on this request on September 16, just two days before Trump’s scheduled sentencing.
Additionally, Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges in other cases, including those related to election interference and the Mar-a-Lago classified documents.
