Trump’s courtroom and campaign trail collision is about to become a reality

CNN —

The presidential election is about to become inextricably entangled with Donald Trump’s criminal turmoil as his crushing calendar of legal obligations collides with the race to the Iowa caucuses in two weeks.

The juxtaposition of the courtroom and campaign trail will set the tone for an unprecedented White House race overshadowed by the ex-president’s four looming criminal trials. When the first votes are cast in the Republican primary race, the country will embark on a political test that will again stretch its unity, democracy and legal institutions to the limit. Trump is leaving no doubt that he would use a second term to punish his political enemies and would likely seek to use the powers of the presidency to evade accountability for his attempt to steal the 2020 election.

The election could even see Trump, the GOP front-runner, run as a convicted felon in November, depending on the timing of his trials and if he wins the nomination. As the primary season begins for real this month, the most likely scenario in November is a tight rematch, which polls show most voters don’t want, between the ex-president and the current one.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 01: U.S. President Joe Biden walks along the Rose Garden colonnade before boarding Marine One and departing the White House on November 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. Biden is traveling to Minnesota. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

What’s at stake in 2024

Trump is determined to make an unmistakable statement by winning Iowa, after failing to do in 2016, as the first step in an extraordinary political comeback. It’s only been three years since he left Washington in disgrace after refusing to accept the result of the 2020 election and whipped up a mob