Preparing for potential eventualities is an executive’s responsibility, but the job also entails predicting — and betting on — likelihoods, probabilities. Michael Whatley, co-chair with Lara Trump of the Republican National Committee, has assessed the legal landscape of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and reached a conclusion: Trump — though he faces sentencing on July 11 in New York on 34 felony counts — will not be prevented from attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15.
Trump will not be jailed in mid-July by Judge Juan Merchan, Whatley insists, saying “we fully expect that [Trump]’s going to be in Milwaukee and able to accept his nomination.” (Trump, having called Milwaukee a “horrible” city, may only feel like he’s in jail.)
Newsmax anchor Rob Finnerty to RNC Chair Michael Whatley: “Mr chairman, how concerned are you that your candidate is in jail the week of the convention? … have you started that process of preparing for the fact that maybe Donald Trump is forced to deliver a speech from Rikers?” pic.twitter.com/qOtDyaFRC7
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2024
Asked by Rob Finnerty if he has planned for a potential scenario where Trump is forced to deliver a recorded speech to the convention — or a speech “from someplace like Rikers Island,” Whatley treats the hypothetical as far-fetched.
“We will have every contingency covered,” Whatley says, before repeating that the expectation is that Trump will attend the convention. Whatley’s assessment correlates with what people on both sides of the aisle believe — that Trump won’t be jailed prior to the election.
Newsmax anchor Rob Finnerty to RNC Chair Michael Whatley: “Mr chairman, how concerned are you that your candidate is in jail the week of the convention? … have you started that process of preparing for the fact that maybe Donald Trump is forced to deliver a speech from Rikers?” pic.twitter.com/qOtDyaFRC7
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2024