In a new appearance on the MSNBC program “Morning Joe,” journalist Eugene Robinson argued for Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the presidential race following the ex-president’s recent conviction in New York City, though precedent suggests that Trump is certainly unlikely to take the step.
But Robinson emphasized the extreme nature of the situation, which he contended was out of step with basically the entirety of American presidential history. Trump was convicted of dozens of felony criminal offenses, and he is still on track to win Republicans’ presidential nomination this year, with much of the party — at the grassroots level and among elected officials — sticking right with him.
Trump “can withdraw from the race,” Robinson said. “Because he’s just been convicted of 34 felonies. Imagine, Joe, if this were any other point in American history from the founding of the Republic ’til the day in 2015 that Donald Trump rode down that escalator at Trump Tower. Any other moment in our history, a candidate for any office who was convicted mid-campaign of 34 felony charges would have been out of the race before the jury foreman finished reading” the verdict.
For now, Trump is heading towards a sentencing scheduled for next month, though his team is characteristically seeking out appeal options in the meantime.
Trump and allies of his continue describing the proceedings as politically motivated, comparing the developments even to living under an authoritarian regime like Cuba or the Soviet Union. In fact, the ample appeal options available to Trump throughout the case, alongside its foundation in specifically alleged actions on Trump’s part that mirror already established law rather than merely a political stance or undefined vagaries, refute that idea. Trump’s appeal options are so extensive that a different criminal case against him on 2020 election-related allegations has been effectively on hold for months while his arguments have moved forward.
.@Eugene_Robinson: “[Trump] can withdraw from the race because he’s just been convicted of 34 felonies… it would be unthinkable that someone would stay in any race — and we need to stop every once in a while and realize this is not normal. This is not healthy. This is insane.” pic.twitter.com/KNGCUXGhI1
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) June 4, 2024
