Donald Trump for President in 2024? Sources Say Announcement Could Avoid Espionage Act Indictment
Calls for former President Donald Trump to run for office in 2024 have been intensified, especially now that he has been under investigation by the Department of Justice and the FBI on the alleged stolen government records.
Sources close to the scene say that he has already "made up" his mind on his decision for 2024. Trump's current political advisers suggest that should he want to avoid the possible indictment that the Mar-a-Lago raid has brought about, he has to announce his candidacy as early as possible.
President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida was raided by the FBI last August 8, seizing top-secret and classified government documents said to have included nuclear weaponry records.
Is Donald Trump Running for President in 2024 Elections?
Currently, ex-President Donald Trump has not yet officially confirmed if he would be gunning for the Oval Office for the third time. However, because of his current legal headache with the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, his political advisers are advising him to announce his bid for the presidency.
According to The Washington Post, the recent Mar-a-Lago raid has "added urgency" for those of his political advisers who favor an early launch campaign. However, Trump has not yet committed to a timeline.
Meanwhile, sources say that if Trump announced that he would be running for the presidency, it would be "harder" for the DOJ to indict a candidate for the office than a former president who is not on the ballot.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is pressed to be the GOP Standard Bearer in the 2024 elections, will not be running for the presidency should Trump opt to enter the race, The Guardian says.
This has been the running sentiment in the Republican party. Last week, Indiana Congressman Jim Banks met with Trump along with the dozen members of the House Republican Study Committee.
He revealed in an interview with The New York Post that Trump "didn't seem defeated in the least bit" despite the controversial Mar-a-Lago raid. Banks even claimed that he "was very fired up, very upbeat" the entire time.
READ NEXT: Donald Trump Could Face 10-Year Jail Terms if Convicted of Violating Espionage Act
President Donald Trump Could Face 10 Years in Prison
Since the raid last week, legal analysts have pointed out that former President Donald Trump is in hot waters for allegedly violating the Espionage Act.
In the affidavit that was made public, and now wants to be resealed again, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart inked the warrant which cites that Trump allegedly violated 18 U.S.C. §§ 793, among two more statutes.
For reference, 18 U.S.C. §§ 793 is part of the Espionage Act, which penalizes the mishandling of sensitive national security information. If proven guilty, Trump could be facing a maximum jail time of 10 years.
As of today, the Department of Justice is continuing the probe for Trump's alleged violation and the resealing of the publicized affidavit on the Mar-a-Lago raid.
READ MORE: DOJ Wants Mar-a-Lago Raid Affidavit Sealed, Citing Possible Threats to National Security
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Written by: Ivan Korrs
WATCH: Impact of FBI search on a potential Trump 2024 presidential bid - From CBS News