Political strategist reacts to Trump's indictment; Newsom's new ad campaign
Donald Trump has been indicted on more than 30 counts related to business fraud, specifically, regarding hush money he allegedly paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
This investigation has been ongoing since 2020. The reaction to Trump's historic indictment is far-reaching, with political strategists in the Sacramento area commenting on the news. Some are calling it political theater, given that Trump was twice impeached by the Democratic-led House but avoided conviction by the Senate.
On the day the indictment was handed down, Governor Gavin Newsom launched a new ad in the Washington Post and a political action committee aimed at boosting Democratic numbers in Republican states.
Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio suggests that Newsom may be looking to the national stage for a future White House run and that having Trump back in the headlines could help Newsom.
"Oh, absolutely. I mean, he's a real foil to him, as DeSantis is. And between the two of them, the Governor has two big players on the national scene to attack," said Maviglio
While Trump is the first former president to be indicted, he is not the only former president who has found himself in legal trouble. Other presidents who came close to criminal charges include Richard Nixon, who resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal and was pardoned by President Ford before he could be indicted; Bill Clinton, who admitted to giving false statements about an affair with intern Monica Lewinsky and struck a deal to avoid prosecution for perjury; and Warren Harding, who died in office and was never charged in several scandals, including bribery and his own hush money scandals.
Trump is expected to be back in court on Tuesday, where the charges he faces will be revealed.