No weapons and little travel – that is already certain, that will be Donald Trump's future. If he becomes the next US president as a convicted criminal, that could become a problem. But it will be a smaller one.
Donald Trump has been a convicted criminal for a few days now, and the harsh US laws have little mercy on them: elections, weapons, foreign travel, jury duty, public jobs, state benefits and family allowances – all excluded. Actually. But what applies to almost all criminals does not apply to the ex-president. Not necessarily because he was once a head of state, but because he is rich.
He can keep his passport, but not his gun license
“Trump was able to simply walk out of the courtroom. I don't remember any of my clients being convicted of a crime in a trial and then simply leaving. Even those who were free on bail were almost always taken into custody after their conviction and had to surrender their passports,” writes US legal expert Shira Diner of Boston University in an article about the consequences of the trial for the Republican presidential candidate.
Trump is allowed to keep his passport, but not his gun license. As some US broadcasters are reporting, he will probably lose his permit to carry concealed weapons in his hometown of New York City. Throughout the USA, it is common practice for criminals to not be allowed to purchase or own weapons.
According to the news channel CNN, the validity of the relevant license was suspended when the first charges were filed. Trump apparently owns three weapons, two of which he is said to have already handed over to the police. Like all current and former US presidents, he is protected by the Secret Service (even in prison), and he will probably get over the loss of his gun license.
Traveling complicated for Donald Trump
Traveling, however, could become more complicated – whether as a future head of state or as a private citizen. Trump may keep his passport for the time being, but that does not mean that he is welcome everywhere in the world. Thirty-seven countries have issued a travel ban for convicted criminals. These include close US allies such as Great Britain, Australia and Israel, which have particularly strict rules. But direct neighbors such as Canada, Mexico and Brazil are also taking a closer look.
It is conceivable that the possible next US president will actually be denied a state visit to one of these countries, but it is probably rather unlikely. Especially since he will appeal the ruling anyway.
At the end of May, Donald Trump was found guilty 34 times by a New York jury. The main charges included covering up hush money payments and electoral fraud. Judge Juan Merchan will announce the exact sentence in July – and then he will also clarify which rights he will be deprived of.
No housing subsidies for the ex-president
It is already clear that he will be allowed to continue voting. Usually, convicted people lose the right to vote – as is the case in Trump's home state of Florida. But there is an exception that applies to the famous resident: the loss of voting rights does not apply to those who were convicted outside of Florida.
The multi-billionaire will not be bothered by the loss of state subsidies, such as for food and housing, nor will he be affected by the lack of benefits due to his fatherhood of an underage son. The conviction will also have no impact on his presidential ambitions. According to the US Constitution, he is allowed to run for office and move into the White House – even in the unlikely event that he ends up in prison.
No state secrets in the White House?
If he is re-elected, however, very specific difficulties may arise. In the USA, for example, there is already a debate about whether he should be granted access to state secrets – something that is actually a daily occurrence for presidents and without which they would hardly be able to govern. But for convicted criminals, secret information is taboo, while on the other hand, US heads of state automatically receive all clearances by virtue of their office. This aspect will almost certainly still be dealt with by the courts – if Trump emerges as the winner of the election on November 5th.
Sources:Law Dictionary, Reuters, Boston University, Forbes, AFP, CNN,
