The recent indictments of former president Donald Trump have cast a shadow over his possible 2024 presidential bid.

Trump faces 37 counts of retaining and concealing classified documents that contain national defense information, as well as showing them to unauthorized people.

The charges stem from a special counsel investigation led by Jack Smith, who accused Trump of putting the country at risk by violating the laws that protect sensitive government records.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the indictments are part of a political witch hunt. However, some legal experts say that the indictments are serious and could lead to a lengthy trial or even prison time for Trump.

The indictments also pose a challenge for the Republican Party, which has largely remained loyal to Trump despite his loss in the 2020 election and his role in inciting the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Some GOP critics of Trump have seized on the indictments as an opportunity to distance themselves from him and call for new leadership in the party.

Others have rallied behind him and sought to discredit the indictment as a partisan attack. The indictments have also raised questions about whether Trump can legally run for president again in 2024, or whether he would be disqualified if convicted or impeached.

The Constitution does not explicitly address this issue, and there is no clear precedent for how it would be resolved. Ultimately, the fate of Trump’s 2024 presidential ambitions may depend on how the public reacts to the indictments and whether they erode his support among his base or galvanize it further.