“When the president does it, that means that is is not illegal.”

Those words were infamously uttered by Richard Nixon in 1977, two and a half years after he resigned from office in disgrace amid the ongoing Watergate scandal.

In Nixon’s case there was some truth the statement, as he had been pardoned by his successor and former vice president, President Gerald Ford.

But Donald Trump isn’t as well-liked in Washington as Nixon once was (which is really saying something).

And even if Mike Pence one day becomes president, it’s unlikely that he’ll be in a hurry to issue any pardons to the man who nearly got him lynched by an angry MAGA mob.

Trump is facing serious legal trouble on several fronts, and the prospect of prison time is probably quite frightening to a man who relies so heavily on makeup and Adderall.

The most high-profile investigation into Trump’s alleged malfeasance are the congressional January 6 hearings, which could well result in criminal charges being filed against the former president.

Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting an investigation into the Trump family’s business practices.

Trump and two of his children — Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump — were set to be deposed next week, but those depositions have been delayed following the unexpected death of Ivana Trump.

Trump’s first wife — who was the mother of Don Jr. and Ivanka — passed away last week after falling down a flight of stairs in her New York City apartment.

Make of that what you will.

Anyway, the Donald is reportedly feeling the walls closing in, and insiders say he’s weighing his options in an effort to determine which strategy is most likely to keep him out of an orange jumpsuit.

And unfortunately for all of us, it seems that Trump is under the impression that running for president would enable him to fend off prosecutors, at least for a couple of more years.

“[Trump] has spoken about how when you are the president of the United States, it is tough for politically motivated prosecutors to ‘get to you,’” a source close to the ex-president tells Rolling Stone (via Radar Online).

“He says when he is president again, a new Republican administration will put a stop to the investigation that he views as the Biden administration working to hit him with criminal charges — or even put him and his people in prison,” the insider adds.

Much to the chagrin of Republican leadership, Trump reportedly plans to announce his candidacy ahead of November’s midterm election.

A different source says he dropped that bombshell during a recent meeting with top aides and supporters.

“It was during a larger discussion about the investigations, other possible 2024 candidates, and what people were saying about the Jan. 6 hearings,” the insider claims.

“He went on for a couple minutes about how ‘some very corrupt’ people want to ‘put [him] in jail.’”

It seems that Trump has a two-fold strategy for announcing his candidacy way ahead of schedule:

For one thing, the 76-year-old is apparently convinced that he’ll gain a distinct advantage by throwing his hat in the ring ahead of potential challengers like Pence and Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Additionally, Trump reportedly believes that by declaring his candidacy, he can force James and the January 6 committee to back off, lest they create the impression that their actions are politically motivated.

No matter your personal feelings on the guy, you almost have to respect the fact that he’s constantly scheming. Almost.

Donald Trump: Running For President in 2024 Just to Avoid Federal Prosecution? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip .