Donald Trump, marking a first for a former U.S. President, has been convicted of a felony, posing new challenges regarding his ability to travel internationally. The list of countries he may visit has notably decreased.
A jury in Manhattan found Trump guilty on all counts in his trial concerning hush money payments last week. He faced 34 counts of first-degree misdemeanours for falsifying company records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to silence her allegations of a sexual encounter.
With three additional criminal charges looming, the resolution of these cases before the November elections remains uncertain.
Trump is scheduled for sentencing on July 11, Tuesday. This sentence will determine his ability to travel abroad as a convicted felon.
Whether Trump will be prohibited from entering other nations raises questions. Thirty-seven countries, including Canada, China, Israel, and the United Kingdom, have policies against admitting felons, though not all enforce checks on criminal histories for travellers stringently.
Trump has indicated plans to appeal the verdict, which is possible only post-sentencing. However, regardless of an appeal, the conviction maintains his status as a convicted felon.
This conviction could significantly impact Trump’s ability to conduct international travel, especially if he were re-elected. While U.S. laws don’t restrict travel for felons unless specified by court order, the global landscape presents challenges.
Keith B. Johnson, a criminal defence attorney, spoke with Axios, suggesting that the New York state court is unlikely to confine Trump’s travel solely within the U.S. owing to the nature of the offence being non-violent and classified as white-collar crime.
Despite his conviction, Johnson notes that Trump’s high profile might lead to certain exceptions from other countries if re-elected. His status as a convicted felon holds more weight on a personal level. Still, Johnson anticipates that Trump would visit China as U.S. President rather than as a private citizen.
Below is a list of countries and territories that generally prohibit visits from felons:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Ireland
- Israel
- Japan
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- Macau
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- Peru
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Turkey