May 30 - Donald Trump’s criminal conviction for illegally covering up a hush money payment to a porn star will not prevent the Republican candidate from pursuing his campaign to retake the White House, even if he were sentenced to prison before the Nov. 5 election.The U.S. Constitution only requires that presidents be at least 35 years old and U.S. citizens who have lived in the country for 14 years.
Jailhouse presidential campaigns are not unprecedented in U.S. history. Socialist Eugene Debs unsuccessfully ran for president from prison in the 1920 election, though unlike Trump he was not a serious contender.Trump is a first-time offender for a nonviolent crime, and it is rare for people with no criminal history who are convicted only of falsification of business records to be sentenced to prison in New York. Punishments like fines or probation are more common.
If punished beyond a fine, Trump could be placed under home confinement or subjected to a curfew rather than imprisoned. While the hush money case is widely seen as the least consequential of the four criminal prosecutions Trump faces, the guilty verdict could have implications for the election.