Donald Trump is a man known for his cameo in Home Alone 2, the popular television series The Apprentice, his business empire, tons of towers and hotels with his name on them and, most infamously, as the 45th president of the United States.

I’m tired of seeing Trump’s name in headlines and I’m sure that my dad is tired of turning “Trump” into “Rump” with the nearest pen.

Now, Trump is also known as the only president to be charged with a felony. 34 counts of falsifying business records allegedly tied to money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, to be exact.

Trump was arraigned on April 4, where he was read each charge and entered a plea of not guilty.

Even as a firm believer that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, I do feel slightly better knowing that Trump is at the mercy of the courts. In some way, shape or form, there will at least be an attempt at justice.

With Trump’s charges, there are many questions about what will happen next.

Trump has already announced his candidacy for president in 2024. So, if he is found guilty, will he still be able to run? Or even, god forbid, be elected president?

Time magazine has written that, yes, he will be able to run. Rather than legitimately letting the criminal justice system do its part in policing and convicting white-collar criminals, I fear that this will only act as a publicity stunt for Trump’s campaign.

I already see this when looking through his 2024 campaign website. There are buzzwords like “tyranny,” “deep state” and “witch hunts,” all associated with the Democratic party. The site paints the party as a demonic entity that needs to be defeated. It calls for supporters to “save America” — as long as they do so in the form of a monetary contribution.

I’m almost certain that Trump’s charges will turn into a narrative of “the left tried to put me in jail, but we will emerge stronger than ever.”

I think that this is also something all of us up in Canada should be concerned about as well. For some reason, Trump supporters can be found far beyond the United States.

I’ve come to know Canada as an exceedingly welcoming place for people of all identities. Of course, there are outliers and individuals who are exceptions to the welcoming environment, but overall, I think that Canada is a great place. Unfortunately, I think that Trump’s indictment has a great chance to blur the line between Canada and Trumpist-America.

But that is just in terms of the common person. Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman stated in an interview with CTV News that the two countries needed to rekindle some areas of their relationship once Trump was out of office. She said that the Trump administration was uninterested in collaborating to address certain issues.

With the weight of some of the problems that the world is facing, such as the ever worsening state of climate change or tensions among nuclear powers, Canada and the rest of the world need a competent and collaborative person — preferably without criminal charges against them — in the Oval Office.

However, perhaps none of my fears will come true. Trump could be found guilty and be yet another criminal who could spend many years in prison serving time for the injustice they took part in.

Trump’s criminal trial will be unprecedented, and I encourage everyone to pay close attention to it. It matters for the future of the United States, Canada and the rest of the world.