What do Trump’s legal challenges mean for the 2024 US election?

What do Trump’s legal challenges mean for the 2024 US election?

Author: BBC World Service June 16, 2023 Duration: 49:09

This week Donald Trump appeared at a federal court in Miami and pleaded not guilty to historic charges relating to his alleged mishandling of sensitive documents. Trump is the most high-profile person ever to face criminal charges under the Espionage Act. It's also the first time that a current or former US president has been charged with a federal crime. Leading Republicans dismiss it as a political prosecution, but some legal experts insist the indictment sets out a strong case. Mr Trump remains the frontrunner to become the Republican nominee in next year's presidential election, but at least ten other high-profile candidates are chasing the nomination.

On The Real Story this week we ask: is Trump's indictment so damaging that Republicans in Milwaukee next year will plump for another nominee to face off against Biden? Or does the crowded field help clear the way for a Trump presidential run? If Trump does seize the nomination, will his legal challenges galvanise or deter voters in the 2024 election?

Shaun Ley is joined by:

Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist who was special assistant to President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2008.

John McCormick, national political reporter for the Wall Street Journal who has covered every presidential campaign since 2000.

Jill Wine-Banks, a former prosecutor at the US Justice Department during the Watergate scandal. She was the first woman to serve as US General Counsel of the Army under President Jimmy Carter.

Also featuring:

Lisa Kern Griffin, Professor at Duke University School of Law in North Carolina and a former federal prosecutor.

Brian Lanza, former Communications Director for the Trump transition team.


Each week, The Real Story from the BBC World Service moves beyond the headlines to examine a single, pressing issue shaping our world. Instead of rapid-fire updates, this podcast dedicates its time to deep, thoughtful conversation. You’ll hear directly from the people involved-policymakers, analysts, journalists, and those directly affected-as they unpack the complexities of a major event or trend. The discussions are rigorous and nuanced, focusing on the underlying forces, historical context, and potential consequences that simpler reports often miss. It’s a space for genuine debate where differing perspectives collide, providing a clearer picture of why a story matters. For anyone seeking to understand the deeper narratives behind the news, this podcast offers essential context and insight, transforming a familiar topic into a richer, more complete understanding. Tune in for a thorough analysis that challenges assumptions and connects the dots on global affairs.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Real Story
Podcast Episodes
Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:27
The Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first US journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War, has now been imprisoned for a year. His detention has been repeatedly extended and he is yet to face tria…
Is the future of journalism in crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:55
Over the past year thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as mass media news organisations struggle to make ends meet. Ad revenue is down, many publishers are struggling to gain subscribers, and social media has r…
Bonus: Sam Bankman-Fried's multibillion dollar FTX fraud [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:39
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.Sam Bankman-Fried was the golden boy of cryptocurrency. He was dubbed the king and saviour of the industry. But this week he will be sentenced to possibly decades in prison f…
Bonus: The curse of the world's fastest growing economy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:15
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.When Guyana discovered huge offshore oil reserves in 2015, it transformed the prospects of a country which had a been an economic and political backwater. But, as one of the…
Bonus: Insight on Islamic State Group + Miami stops the party [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:04
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.On this episode, we’re covering two very different stories. After the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall in Moscow, we’re revisiting…
How can Boeing win back trust? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:46
The plane maker’s safety record is in the spotlight after a series of incidents. In January an unused door blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines shortly after take-off. An initial report from the US Nat…
Should we be afraid of TikTok? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:17
The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that could see TikTok effectively banned. It would give the social media giant's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, six months to sell its controlling stake or t…
Can Haiti break free from its history? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:21
The Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday. It follows the storming at the weekend by gangs of two prisons, with some 3,700 inmates escaping. The gang leaders want the resignation of Prime Min…
What's fuelling the war in Sudan? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:52
At the Munich Security Conference in February a senior UN official described the war in Sudan as “not a forgotten crisis, but a wholly ignored crisis”. And yet the impact of 10 months of fighting is huge - nearly eight m…