On Monday, the Fulton County Grand Jury in Georgia issued an indictment against former President Donald Trump and 18 others related to the 2020 presidential election.
The defendants have until Aug. 25 to turn themselves in. Curiously, this occurs just two days before the first Republican presidential debate is scheduled to air on Fox News from Milwaukee on Aug. 23.
In this way, it appears that Trump may stand to benefit from his persecutors’ actions.
On Tuesday, CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe suggested that former President Donald Trump could gain attention away from his competitors by committing to participate in the upcoming GOP primary debate on August 23.
Despite having little incentive to attend due to his large lead in the polls, as well as his refusal to sign a required pledge supporting whoever wins the race, O’Keefe noted there is still an opportunity for Trump.
“Where would you rather be that day, in Milwaukee with everybody else or in that Atlanta courtroom? He knows that this has completely sucked oxygen away from everybody else running,” O’Keefe said, according to CBS News.
“So now he can potentially use this to his advantage even more,” O’Keefe added.
There will be cameras in the courtroom in Georgia, reports @edokeefe, marking a significant difference from the previous arraignments of former Pres. Donald Trump.
“That has a huge effect on the public perception of all of this,” says O’Keefe. https://t.co/jYYgEuy23W pic.twitter.com/zaEE0NVKm6
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) August 15, 2023
If Trump decides to surrender himself in Georgia on the day of the debate, this would not be done as a means to distract attention from other Republican presidential candidates.
After all, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls, he is leading his closest challenger by approximately 40 points.
Instead, Trump has one practical and one transcendent motivation for surrendering himself on Aug. 23.
Firstly, he has a vested interest in damaging the Republican debate by drawing viewers away from Fox News. Secondly – and far more importantly – appearing in Georgia on this date will be preserved for posterity.
ICYMI: Trump Campaign Rips Georgia DA After Grand Jury Delivers Indictment
