We all know this ain’t happening" — Internet reacts to the possibility of Trump serving his presidency from jail as his New York case remains open
US President-elect Donald Trump could reportedly still face jail time related to his conviction on 34 felony counts in New York. The case could either stand or be swept away depending on Justice Juan Merchan's decision by Tuesday (November 12).
The Republican leader is reportedly facing two federal criminal cases against him. The first involves alleged charges of conspiring to interfere with the elections in Georgia in 2020. However, the state case will remain on hold until his second presidential term ends in 2028, if it is still at that time.
The second case involves Trump's conviction on 34 counts of felony charges granted in May 2024 in New York. Justice Juan Merchan is set to determine whether or not to grant the president-elect's pre-election request to dismiss the case by Tuesday, November 12.
If Merchan grants his request, it would clear the Republican's slate of criminal charges. However, if the judge upholds the conviction, the former president would have to proceed to serve his sentencing later this month.
Netizens took to X to react to the possibility of Trump going to jail despite being elected president this month. One X user wrote:
"we all know this ain’t happening unfortunately."
"Haha. No they could not. The Secret Service would mow down any NY cop that tries to get anywhere near Trump," another user added.
"You won’t see him in New York any time soon…," a netizen opined.
Some of the other reactions were as follows:
"come on bro we all know that's not happening," a person commented.
"Wouldn’t he just pardon himself the second he gets inaugurated?," a user asked.
"THEY NEED TO DO IT LMAO IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS," a fan jibed.
Some other users also shared their take:
"This isn’t going to happen and anyone who thinks this is a retard," a fan joked.
"I dare them to try it and see what happens," a netizen chimed in.
"Lol, no it won't happen. At the very most he will serve his sentence after office. At the very least it will all be appealed and dropped," an X user wrote.
Can Donald Trump go to jail? Two possibilities explored
In May 2024, a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records. These records pertained to payments the Republican made to his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen. Cohen claimed these payments were made in 2016 to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels regarding an alleged relationship.
As per the president-elect's lawyers, a recent ruling by the US Supreme Court grants presidents a certain degree of protection from criminal conviction. This ruling allegedly applies to aspects of the former president's New York case, suggesting that the indictment should be ruled out.
At the time of Trump's trial in May, Justice Merchan dismissed his attorney's claims of ruling out the indictment on immunity grounds. However, this decision came before the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the president-elect this summer. Moreover, Trump won the presidential elections comfortably.
Justice Merchan has set a deadline of November 12 to make a final decision regarding holding or tossing the Republican leader's indictment. If he tosses it out, it will end the case. However, if he denies the request and holds the case, the president-elect's sentencing will be scheduled for November 26.
It is important to note that Justice Merchan denying Trump's requests does not guarantee jail time for the upcoming US president. The president-elect's team will likely appeal for more delays. Imposing a sentence on a US president would lead to multiple legal questions with complicated answers. Daniel Charles Richman, an expert from Columbia Law School, told BBC:
“I think the most likely outcome in the state case is the judge putting off sentencing until after Trump's term in office. To actually impose a sentence would raise any number of messy issues in the short term, including political ones."
It seems unlikely that Justice Merchan would sentence the MAGA leader to prison time in this situation. Even if such a verdict is reached, his team will imminently appeal it, delaying the punishment. Alternatively, the court could ask the Republican leader to pay a smaller fine in three or four figures.
It is also worth noting that Donald Trump does not have the power to take away his conviction on his own. The Republican leader could pardon himself when he is sworn in as president in January. However, he cannot pardon himself in New York as the conviction took place in state court. As of now, his fate lies in the hands of the state court and Justice Merchan.