Donald Trump’s claim of victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election will likely put a hold on the criminal cases against him during his term in office. Trump, now set to be the first former U.S. president to return to the White House while facing felony charges, had been juggling multiple legal battles this year. These included allegations of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

A major point of controversy was his October statement where Trump promised to dismiss Special Counsel Jack Smith, responsible for federal investigations involving his election-related actions and retention of classified documents. Trump consistently maintained his innocence, claiming these legal challenges were politically driven. Mike Davis of the Article III Project echoed this, emphasizing that voters, aware of these cases, still supported Trump.

While Trump can halt federal cases by removing Smith, he has less leverage over the New York hush money trial or Georgia’s case concerning his 2020 election activities. Kristy Parker from Protect Democracy noted that even if Trump halted cases, it wouldn’t erase their legitimacy. An upcoming court date before his January 20 inauguration might be postponed, as legal experts believe proceeding with sentencing a president-elect would be unprecedented.

In New York, his legal team is expected to seek a delay for his sentencing, set for November 26, as no U.S. president-elect has faced such a situation before. Legal analysts think a postponement is likely as Trump prepares to step back into the presidential role.