“You Can Run for President From Prison”: Conservative Pundit Suggests Trump Could Run the Country From House Arrest

Amy LewisNov 2, 2023

Minute Read

Bill O’Reilly has said that Trump won’t go to jail even if he’s convicted. The political commentator has suggested that the criminal defendant may instead end up serving time under house arrest.

The Second GOP Debate

Speaking to Tucker Carlson, O’Reilly said that “none of the things that [Trump is] charged with would warrant prison.” The interview was released on social media as counter-programming to the second GOP debate.

Tucker Carlson’s Words

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Speaking to O’Reilly, Carlson said: “We’re in a presidential season now where the Biden administration has indicted their opponent, the front-runner in the race, four times. And they’re going to try and convict him and send him to jail before the election and take his name off the ballot. So, I mean, if you’re willing to do that and just end democracy, then what aren’t you willing to do?”

Running for President From Prison

O’Reilly responded: “But thank God you can’t do it. So, he’s not going to be taken off the ballot. There’s no constitutional order that would allow that to happen. This is actually true. You can run for president from prison if you want – and some people have.”

Confined to the White House

O’Reilly continued: “He’s not going to prison because even if he’s convicted, none of the things that he’s charged with would warrant prison and the Supreme Court would rule, if it ever gets up there, that he’d be in a home of confinement, where he could run the government if he wanted to. If he wins, he’ll be confined to the White House or whatever. But none of that’s going to happen.”

The Classified Documents Case

The commentator went on to discuss potential hypocrisy regarding the classified documents case. O’Reilly said: “So the American people understand what this is. They understand that the documents in [the] Mar-a-Lago basement parallel the documents in Joe Biden’s garage. It’s the same thing but one guy gets raided and charged.”

An Online Debate

The issue of whether Trump will be sent to prison or put on house arrest is something that has been discussed in detail and debated heavily in online comment sections. On the one hand, some people believe his crimes are so severe that house arrest can’t be an option. Others, though, think his privilege will save him from traditional incarceration.

House Arrest Is Ridiculous

One online commenter said: “Talk of house arrest is ridiculous. There’s no such provision in the sentencing guideline and there’s no need. If unique security of a protectee is a concern, he can serve his sentences in one of several MCFs – prisons inside a military base. There are even individual prison housing units that could be used or constructed easily.”

Trump’s Secret Service Protection

Discussing the former president’s Secret Service protection, another person said: “People think he can’t go to prison since he has Secret Service. Why? They are with him regardless. Now they would just have to spend that time sitting outside his cell reading.”

Attempting an Insurrection

On a similar topic, another individual wrote: “What does it take to strip him of his [Secret Service] detail? How is attempting an insurrection not enough? He should never see the light of day outside a prison again.”

The Events of Jan 6th

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Others discussed the events of Jan 6th and Trump’s involvement. “I don’t care where he goes as long as he gets a lifetime suspension from holding anything political-related because of Jan 6th. Then he can go to Hell,” one person wrote.

Deterrents and Consequences

Trying to convey the importance of a prison sentence, another commenter wrote: “If he doesn’t go to prison, it’s an open invitation to do this all over again with a greater chance of success. There must be deterrents and consequences otherwise this problem never goes away.”

The Most Severe Punishment

Plenty of people echoed the aforementioned individual. Another person said: “If he does not get the most severe response from the justice system then it will be a clear message that it’s okay to do it again.”

House Arrest at Mar-a-Lago

But not everyone agreed with the previously mentioned commenters. “They’ll make an exception and he’ll be under house arrest at Mar-a-Lago. It’s unfortunate but rich people are treated differently. Hell, Epstein was allowed to get out of prison and go to work if I remember correctly,” one individual wrote.

Trump’s Despicable Behavior

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Another commenter said: “I still don’t believe he’ll see a day in actual prison. Even if found guilty of everything, I believe he’ll spend the rest of his miserable life in Mar-a-Lago. Nobody seems to be interested in handing out any real consequences to him, which only emboldens him to continue his despicable behavior.”

Above the Law

Others said even house arrest would be a stretch. One such commenter wrote: “He won’t see one second of a prison cell. He’s Trump and if he ever said anything true, it’s that he is above the law. Even if convicted, they’ll get to sentencing and the Secret Service will tell the judge there is no legal framework to sentence a former president to prison, therefore he’ll be leaving. Then the Supreme Court will overturn his conviction.”

Trump’s Lavish Living Conditions

One person said they’d be glad to simply see Trump convicted, regardless of his sentencing. They wrote: “While house arrest seems really unjust, especially given his lavish living conditions, I think it’s the best we can hope for. Rich people, generally, avoid prison. Even when they don’t, they get special treatment. Personally, I’ll just be happy if he’s convicted.”

The World Isn’t Fair

Another commenter wrote: “Should he go to prison? Yes. Should he lose his Secret Service protection? Yes. But he’s a rich, White man who knows a lot of powerful people. I hope he goes to prison, I really do. In reality, I think house arrest is much more likely.”

A Hypothetical Situation

Discussing the possibility of the former president being sent to prison with his Secret Service protection, one individual said: “I would be delighted to quit my job [and] move across the country just to be the Secret Service member that gets to sit outside that cell. I would be more than happy to remind him, any moment I’d get, why he deserves to rot there.”