 2023 is quickly approaching. And this year is going to be really interesting, I guess you could say, because this is the year where we are really entering uncharted territory, or we could be entering uncharted territory, because Donald Trump could be indicted. Now, this is not a foregone conclusion. There are many legal experts, however, that do anticipate his indictment. And even some GOP strategists are fully expecting him to be indicted. So in the event this unprecedented event happens, what can we expect? I think that this is important. And Politico's legal affairs colonist Renato Mariotti, who also happens to be a federal prosecutor, gave us some insight as to what we can expect. Now, the first question that we all have is, assuming that he is indicted, how long will it take for him to potentially be prosecuted? And will that take place before the 2024 election? Because, like it or not, that is approaching in about two years. Like he explains, after an indictment, the process would slow down. Typically, defense counsel get months to review evidence, and in a case involving so many classified documents, that could be a slow process. The defense will file motions, which the judge could take months to consider. Trial would likely be 12 to 24 months away. In other words, a range that would cover the entirety of the election year. Although Trump has a right to a speedy trial, a trial in 70 days or less from indictment, most criminal defendants waive that right and drag out the process. When I was a federal prosecutor, some defendants created enough delay to drag the process out for years before trial. Given the circumstances, however, I think most judges would likely ensure that a trial was scheduled well before the end of Biden's term to reduce the impact that a criminal trial would have on the 2024 election. So we're going to see a bit of a tug of war. Trump and his team will likely try to drag this out, whereas the legal system judges will acknowledge that this is a very important case. And this is one of the leading 2024 presidential contenders. So this can't be postponed until after the election. It needs to happen quickly. So will it happen before the election? That honestly is an open question. And it's hard to answer that. But it's not like we're going to see the floodgates open as soon as he is indicted, assuming that does happen. It's going to happen. And then there's going to be this really slow, quiet period to where a lot of Americans can probably move on and put that behind them and forget that he's indicted. So now another question is how is this going to affect his 2024 run? Politically, that's an entirely different question. You could argue that would help him because it would galvanize the base. But you can also argue that would hurt him because individuals like Ron DeSantis could make the electability argument. But legally, how does this affect Donald Trump? Will an indictment stop him from running? Short answer is no. Trump would not be sentenced until months after his conviction and could potentially remain out of prison pending appeal. But a conviction or even imprisonment would not bar Trump from running for president. The Constitution sets the requirements for presidential candidates and a clean criminal history is not one of them. Some have wondered if a convicted but still uns sentenced Trump could be inaugurated and assume control of the Oval Office. While presumably that could occur, the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment on a sitting president is almost too bizarre to even contemplate and would certainly raise constitutional issues that the Supreme Court would ultimately resolve. So for individuals who were hoping that Trump wouldn't be able to run for president because he'd be in prison, odds are that's not going to happen. Odds are he will be free until the 2024 election. It's around 2024 when things could get dicey for him assuming the legal system moves slower than Renato is anticipating here. But the fact that we're even talking about all of this and asking these questions truly shows you how insane the American political system has become, how insane more specifically American politics has become, where we're even forced to ask these questions. And one thing that is considered or that should be considered outside of these legal questions is how is this going to impact Donald Trump because I think that all of us can anticipate him getting even more deranged as the walls closing on him. So this is something that will be certainly interesting to watch, but regardless if he is or isn't indicted, that has yet to be seen. But it's going to be a shit show either way because if he is indicted, him and his Republican cronies are going to fight that and screech and claim to be the victims. But if he's not indicted, then I think that even the people who still have faith in the American judicial system are going to lose hope. They're going to see beyond a shadow of a doubt that elites, they can break the law and they just get away with it, right? Peasants are held to a very different standard than elites. We have a two-tiered justice system effectively. And so when somebody is so brazen about the crimes that they've committed, if that doesn't lead to an indictment and prosecution, then that end of itself will very much delegitimize the system. So either way, 2023 is going to be interesting. And we've all got to buckle up because this is going to be a shit show that all of us are going to be likely glued to. And I for one am dreading it because all of the stress that's going to come with this is probably going to be nonstop. But either way, it'll be entertaining at a minimum. So look out, folks 2023 with Donald Trump possibly being indicted is going to be very, very interesting. Do yourself a favor and click the join button on YouTube to become a member because Mike's doing a great job getting to watch his videos before everyone else is tremendous. Many people are saying this. Join today, folks. You won't regret it.