We need to plan now in case Trump loses in November - but refuses to leave the White House

Thom plus logo The Constitution provides a couple of mechanisms for Trump to lose the 2020 election-both the popular vote and the Electoral College-and still hold the office of president for a second term.

It's keeping historians and constitutional scholars up at night and, based on offline conversations I've had with D.C. conservatives I know, is something the GOP and partisans within the Trump administration are already discussing.

Bill Maher and I have been repeatedly asking a question on the air that the rest of America's media seemingly thinks is too far out to even consider: What if Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen is right, and after losing the 2020 election Trump refuses to leave office?

On its surface, the question seems silly-nobody who has lost both the popular vote and an uncontested Electoral College vote has ever gone on to become president, right?

Unfortunately, it's wrong. The GOP has done this before, an action that included multiple threats of violence and bloodshed on the floor of Congress, leading Democrats to cave in even though their candidate won the popular vote and had 22 more electoral votes than the Republican (who became president).

Read more here.

-Thom

Comments

Legend 3 years 11 weeks ago
#1

The Chief Justice swears in the new President. There is no unswearing ceremony. Once a new President is sworn in the Secret Service etc. answers to the new President. Then he is carried out of the White House. The real threat is cancelling elections under a Declaration of Emergency. In many ways we are currently in uncharted territory. No sports, gatherings etc. What is on TV this weekend? Last I looked it had not been updated. Louisiana cancelled its primaries today. Everyday will be new surprises.

Legend 3 years 10 weeks ago
#3

Reply to Tin (no facts) hat #2

"Enough said"? Typical Trumpster leaves out the facts. She was also Deputy Campaign Manager for the Obama 2011 Campaign. If I remember right, that was a fairly successful campaign. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_O%27Malley_Dillon

Legend 3 years 10 weeks ago
#4

If you can watch Rachel Maddow's Friday show. It is on the MSNBC website until replaced by Monday's show. It shows with charts how the virus is spreading in the USA at one of the highest rates in new cases per day. We are a couple of weeks behind Italy and Iran. This article also shows it and the lack of testing. Coutries like Taiwan have done excellent jobs of dealing with it. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/13/21178289/confirmed-coronavirus-cases-us-countries-italy-iran-singapore-hong-kong

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