Will Trump allow a transfer of power?

Travis

Misanthrope of the Mountains
Travis
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
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So, as far back as I can remember we had conspiracy theories that President ( ) would not step down and possibly cancel elections.


For the first time ever it sorta seems possible when you consider that Trump himself is saying he had two years stolen from him, his top surrogates advocating for giving him two extra years, Pelosi says she is worried he won't give up the Presidency if the election is close and Michael Cohen, his own lawyer, thinks he will never give up the Presidency owing to how he would immediately be exposed to numerous criminal prosecutions.


Is it time to give up on the idea that elections will even mean anything in 2020?
 
Trump on his own wouldn't be able to do more than tweet about not giving up power or calling off the elections via calling-in to Fox
It all depends on who's around who will actually follow his orders, and knows how to do it.
For starters, his AG would need to be on board.
And McConnell would need to run interference.

On his own, it is clearly just a "Dems are trying to take my job!" campaign slogan.
 
Yes he will.

President Trump just says a lot of ****, he actually seems to do very little.
 
Travis said:
For the first time ever it sorta seems possible when you consider that Trump himself is saying he had two years stolen from him, his top surrogates advocating for giving him two extra years, Pelosi says she is worried he won't give up the Presidency if the election is close and Michael Cohen, his own lawyer, thinks he will never give up the Presidency owing to how he would immediately be exposed to numerous criminal prosecutions.
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I’ve heard he’s now falling back on the “it’s a joke!” cover. The classic Trumpian way of floating an idea to see how much trouble he’d get in. Plus, it has the added bonus effect of giving the useful idiots something to chant about.
 
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I remember this being a concern with George W. and with Nixon. It never happened. I certainly hope it doesn't happen with Trump because then I'd have to buy a gun and join a militia and that all sounds just exhausting.
 
I don't know if Trump would try a blatant attempt to defy a lawful transfer of power, but I can easily see him trying to poison the well of the election and do everything he can to tilt the scales so he can win re-election. I fully expect him to start firing up the claims of fraudulent voters, rigged elections, need to investigate, recounts in every important district, etc as we get closer to the election, especially if polls indicate high probability of loss on his end.
 
Travis said:
So, as far back as I can remember we had conspiracy theories that President ( ) would not step down and possibly cancel elections.


For the first time ever it sorta seems possible when you consider that Trump himself is saying he had two years stolen from him, his top surrogates advocating for giving him two extra years, Pelosi says she is worried he won't give up the Presidency if the election is close and Michael Cohen, his own lawyer, thinks he will never give up the Presidency owing to how he would immediately be exposed to numerous criminal prosecutions.


Is it time to give up on the idea that elections will even mean anything in 2020?
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No.

Of course if the election is close he will go through the same steps to contest that others would.

This has been said about all recent presidents.
 
Upchurch said:
Plus, it has the added bonus effect of giving the useful idiots something to chant about.
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If we encouraged them to start chanting, "Two more years!", do you think they'd notice that this implies he'll be out of office in 2021?
 
Obama wasn't going to leave either.

Paranoid extremists on both sides come up with this stuff no matter which party is in power.
 
Drewbot said:
Obama wasn't going to leave either.

Paranoid extremists on both sides come up with this stuff no matter which party is in power.
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I don't take his comments about "two more years" seriously, but that is a big difference. No other president in my lifetime has suggested, jokingly or not, that he deserves bonus time.
 
Drewbot said:
Obama wasn't going to leave either.

Paranoid extremists on both sides come up with this stuff no matter which party is in power.
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True, but I don't think Obama is on record as saying that some external factor (say the 2008 credit crisis) stole the first two years of his Presidency and so he should get an extra couple of years to ensure four unfettered years of his administration.

That said, Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he's all hat and no cattle so IMO there's nothing to actually worry about.
 
Drewbot said:
Obama wasn't going to leave either.

Paranoid extremists on both sides come up with this stuff no matter which party is in power.
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Uh, yeah, but this time it is top people on the side of the President that are floating this idea and the President himself seemed to like the idea on Twitter. When has that ever happened?
 
I agree that this time, it's less far-fetched than ever before.

Conservatives seem to be in a desperate rush to pass laws, appoint judges and gerrymander election maps while they can still win elections. There seem to be a sentiment that, sooner rather than later, shifts in demographic will turn a majority of the US blue.
Or the Rapture will happen.

In any case, if polls suggest that Trump will be wiped out in 2020, together with Republican candidates, some at the top might very well decide that even a few extra months of court battles might be worth it if it just gets another appointment, another executive order, another pardon, another deregulation.
 
The Great Zaganza said:
I agree that this time, it's less far-fetched than ever before.

Conservatives seem to be in a desperate rush to pass laws, appoint judges and gerrymander election maps while they can still win elections. There seem to be a sentiment that, sooner rather than later, shifts in demographic will turn a majority of the US blue.
Or the Rapture will happen.

In any case, if polls suggest that Trump will be wiped out in 2020, together with Republican candidates, some at the top might very well decide that even a few extra months of court battles might be worth it if it just gets another appointment, another executive order, another pardon, another deregulation.
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If Republican state governments are any indication, things will really get wild during the lame duck session after a losing election. I would expect to see lots of moonshot power grabs and last minute appointments cramming the docket right up until the second that power changes hands.

Places like NC or Wisconsin are good guides to what extent Republicans would act in bad faith in order to blunt a losing election. Fortunately, the House in controlled by Democrats, so there is some limitations to what bad law could be crammed through in such a session. I would expect high level chicanery from Senate confirmations and Executive order, though.
 
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SuburbanTurkey said:
If Republican state government are any indication, things will really get wild during the lame duck session after a losing election. I would expect to see lots of moonshot power grabs and last minute appointments cramming the docket right up until the second that power changes hands.
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Forebearance is dead. Time for the Democrats to play dirty as well.
 
The easy explanation is that he should get two more years, by getting re-elected in 2020.

Trying to fire up the base to get him 2 more years to pay for it.

Maybe he will resign in 2022.
 
If Biden is the Democratic choice then as far as the 2020 election goes I doubt there is an issue, Trump will win (as long as the economy holds up). Pity really as healthcare, climate change, education and economic equality (for over simplicity - tax) are all good battlegrounds for dems and they can offer a viable alternative. Out of those healthcare is a grey area because Obama Care has its failings but Trumps "better" alternative which is still just tweets hasn't been proved inferior yet (coz not sure what it is)
 
Loss Leader said:
.... because then I'd have to buy a gun and join a militia and that all sounds just exhausting.
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No. Just join up. Every militia member (except for you) has more than one gun; they'll loan you one. :)
 
Loss Leader said:
I remember this being a concern with George W. and with Nixon. It never happened. I certainly hope it doesn't happen with Trump because then I'd have to buy a gun and join a militia and that all sounds just exhausting.
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W was not really in his personality, while Trump shows his constant love of dictators and making "jokes"(like a man joking about how funny it would be if he and his wife had a threesome) about being a dictator all the time. So I think he would love it. Now for how much of his crap the republicans will continue to support? They have crossed so many things I thought would be red lines for them I really have no idea what the republican party will support from Trump anymore.
 
eeyore1954 said:
No.

Of course if the election is close he will go through the same steps to contest that others would.

This has been said about all recent presidents.
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Hey if it wasn't for the millions of fraudulent votes cast last time he would have won the popular vote. Just like all recent presidents have said.
 
No, you are screwed. Get set for a North Korean style dictatorial dynasty. Atheists and socialists will be the first dragged off to labour camps.
 
Travis said:
So, as far back as I can remember we had conspiracy theories that President ( ) would not step down and possibly cancel elections.


For the first time ever it sorta seems possible
Click to expand...

It seems possible to you, but you've lost all sense of perspective, so that's not of any significance.
 
Travis said:
So, as far back as I can remember we had conspiracy theories that President ( ) would not step down and possibly cancel elections.


For the first time ever it sorta seems possible when you consider that Trump himself is saying he had two years stolen from him, his top surrogates advocating for giving him two extra years, Pelosi says she is worried he won't give up the Presidency if the election is close and Michael Cohen, his own lawyer, thinks he will never give up the Presidency owing to how he would immediately be exposed to numerous criminal prosecutions.


Is it time to give up on the idea that elections will even mean anything in 2020?
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Yes. The Trumpet is a cowardly blowhard. His followers may attempt violence but the best they'd be able to manage is killing a few people.
 
catsmate said:
Yes. The Trumpet is a cowardly blowhard. His followers may attempt violence but the best they'd be able to manage is killing a few people.
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You say that, but we already have them supporting obstruction of justice from the president, why should other violations of the law suddenly be out of the question?
 
Yes, though admittedly, he won't be graceful about it.

Barring an economic collapse, he won't have to for another 6 years though.:(

This was also a concern with Clinton among a similarly paranoid fringe. I don't recall it being as big a thing with Obama though. Which is odd, I probably was more removed from that paranoid fringe then though. I would bet money that you can find old episodes of Art Bell from the end of every presidents term with some nut predicting or kvetching about the coming dictatorship. Did you know FEMA has a massive supply of portable coffin liners?
 
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Travis said:
Uh, yeah, but this time it is top people on the side of the President that are floating this idea and the President himself seemed to like the idea on Twitter. When has that ever happened?
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What top people? Are you referring to Falwell Jr. as a "top person"?
 
Travis said:
So, as far back as I can remember we had conspiracy theories that President ( ) would not step down and possibly cancel elections.


For the first time ever it sorta seems possible when you consider that Trump himself is saying he had two years stolen from him, his top surrogates advocating for giving him two extra years, Pelosi says she is worried he won't give up the Presidency if the election is close and Michael Cohen, his own lawyer, thinks he will never give up the Presidency owing to how he would immediately be exposed to numerous criminal prosecutions.


Is it time to give up on the idea that elections will even mean anything in 2020?
Click to expand...

I expect that if Trump looses the upcoming election, that he will bitch and complain about it for a good while, but he will leave when he is supposed to leave.

And if not, then the Secret Service can, and will, forcibly evict him from the White House.

So in ether case, he will be out.
 
Travis said:
Uh, yeah, but this time it is top people on the side of the President that are floating this idea and the President himself seemed to like the idea on Twitter. When has that ever happened?
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And another key distinction is that, previously, the paranoid idiots who were clamoring about the President "cancelling the election" were warning against something they thought would be bad.

Now the idiots are advocating for something they think will be good.
 
Ziggurat said:
It seems possible to you, but you've lost all sense of perspective, so that's not of any significance.
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Well, someone has lost perspective. Tell me, when was the last time an authoritarian president routinely encouraged people to break the law or disregard the Constitution? Would it be such a stretch for him to continue to do so?
 
phiwum said:
What top people? Are you referring to Falwell Jr. as a "top person"?
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Yes, also Lou Dobbs. Both hold huge sway with the Evangelical right that serves as Trump's base. I think Tucker Carlson might have also spoke up about it last night but the TV was muted when the subject of those tweets was discussed.
 
The Trump dichotomy:

They "stole two years" from him.

and

He accomplished more in those two years than any president in history ever.


This is what lots of top people are saying, anyway.
 
Thread title makes me picture Trump, alone in Engineering on the Enterprise, sobbing that he canna transfer more power, cap'n. He can only break the laws of men, never the laws of physics.
 
carlitos said:
The Trump dichotomy:

They "stole two years" from him.

and

He accomplished more in those two years than any president in history ever.


This is what lots of top people are saying, anyway.
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Well, the trial balloon of immigrants who both laze around on welfare and steal your jobs worked out, so why not deploy more weaponized dichotomies?
 
The Secret Service would evict Donny Quisling? Aw hell, the White House janitors would be enough.

We're not talking about much of a man here.
 
Horatius said:
Well, the trial balloon of immigrants who both laze around on welfare and steal your jobs worked out, so why not deploy more weaponized dichotomies?
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Radical Muslim atheists are sneaking into the country to polygamously marry multiple women to indoctrinate them into supporting gay marriage and having lots of children so they'll grow up and vote for abortion. They're using socialism to evade taxes on their huge private fortunes.
 
sackett said:
The Secret Service would evict Donny Quisling? Aw hell, the White House janitors would be enough.

We're not talking about much of a man here.
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You could lure him into a cardboard box with a cheeseburger, tape it shut, and mail it to Russia.
 
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