Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said Monday on CNN’s “News Central” that he believed if former President Donald Trump was convicted of a crime, MAGA supporters would move to another candidate.
When asked if another Republican could win the primary, Bolton said, “Yes, I do, and I think it’s difficult but I think this could all turn, both for the primary, but particularly for the general election, on whether any of the four pending criminal indictments actually come to trial and get a jury verdict before the election.”
He continued, “I think if a jury convicts Trump, I think that could be fatal either to getting the nomination or certainly in November. All of the other legal proceedings have either had no effect or, as you point out in this fundraising news, have benefited Trump. But I think a jury verdict of guilty is something very different.”
Bolton added, “I think even a lot of MAGA Trumpers really don’t want to elect a convicted felon president. The difficulty for Republicans is that the convention is in August, but many of the primaries and caucuses begin quite early next year. So the argument has to be made to Republican voters, don’t vote for somebody who may be a felon by the time we get to our convention.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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