I could be completely off base because what I’m about to say comes from memory of an article I read years and years ago, long before Trump in politics was ever a thing.

But the hypotheticals of what would happen if an elected President was in jail has been discussed before. The general idea that I remember reading was that yes, he wouldn’t be able to pardon himself at either the state or federal level, but his incarceration would be superseded by his need to carry out his Presidential duties, effectively putting any criminal punishment due to him on hold. Sure, he’d still be a convicted felon, but he’d still basically avoid anything resembling actual consequences for his actions, and Trump would be perfectly OK with that. He’d be able to avoid consequences and would wear the conviction as a badge of honor.

And make no mistake: That’s what Trump is going for. He didn’t care about his impeachments. He hasn’t cared about any of the civil trials he lost yet. He only started caring about this one once he realized he could turn the courtroom into a glorified MAGA rally. Being labelled with “convicted felon” would just be something else to add to the pile of things Trump doesn’t care about. He’ll fundraise off of it. He’ll have laws changes to make sure he never has to actually serve a sentence even after his term ends. And in the end, as long as he doesn’t actually have to suffer actual consequences outside of some reputational damage, he’ll consider it a win.