Why a third indictment of Trump could be such a profound stain on his legacy

Few citizens face the kind of perfect storm of legal threats engulfing Donald Trump. And given that he is a past and possibly future president running for a new term, the entire country could share in his historic ordeal.

Strong indications Tuesday that Trump could soon be indicted in a third case – this one in special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election – deepened the legal and political tension surrounding the 2024 election. Trump said that Smith sent him a letter on Sunday informing him he was a target of the investigation, a step that usually precedes charges. This development increased the possibility that Trump, who’s pleaded not guilty in two other criminal indictments, will be required to punctuate his time on the campaign trail with long days in court and shell out for expensive legal bills.