Listening to the drumbeat of fear, despair and disgust from some precincts on the Left gives me today’s topic: If Donald J. Trump loses the presidential election, he will scream it was rigged — and refuse to leave the White House.
The first part of the equation, a claim the election was rigged, is perfectly believable. The president is a monumental crybaby, whiner and blame-shifter. That huge balloon of him as a crying infant is cruel, because it is so correct, and when I say correct, I don’t mean covfefe.
The second part, though, that he would refuse to leave the White House — and that as commander-in-chief he would get the military to protect him — gets into woo-woo territory. (Daffy Duck was big on woo-woo.)
That sentence is a two-parter: 1- He won’t want to leave, agreed. 2- the military will protect. Woo-woo.
Shortly after Trump was elected, and after he escalated his attacks on a free press (recently expanded to include Fox News, who woulda thunk?), a few of my liberal friends feared and believed that he would shut down The New York Times. Really, they did.
How is that going to work? I asked.
He’s going to order troops with fixed bayonets to surround the Times? Because the Times carried a story the president didn’t like?
Calling out troops does have some precedents, but they were for more momentous issues than a president’s bloated vanity.
Example: President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to Little Rock, Ark., in September, 1957, to enforce a court order desegregating Central High School, but here is the difference: Troops were sent to enforce a court order, not to disobey the U.S. Constitution. I guarantee you that Ike, the Supreme Allied Commander in World War II, had no taste for sending troops into an American city, which stirred memories of the Civil War. But he did it.
Would the 101st take up positions around the Times if Trump ordered it?
It hasn’t happened yet, and, really, it never will happen. Our troops take an oath to obey orders from the president, yes, but the first part of the oath requires them to support and defend the Constitution. The oath requires them to obey orders only when they are legitimate.
The same would apply if he were to barricade himself in the Lincoln Bedroom.
Trump should be careful squawking about rigged elections. He lost the popular vote and was elected anyway. He complained there were millions of votes by undocumented people, but he could never prove that.
Because it is not true.
Here and there some ineligible people voted, but Trump’s own commission could find no massive voter fraud.
Some of you are saying he is a disrupter who ignores norms. That is true, but while he violates rules, he cannot ignore the law. Many of his plans have been upset by the courts and while he screamed and called judges names, he obeyed the rulings.
So let’s say he again loses the popular vote, but this time he also loses in the electoral college and starts tweeting — his favorite means of communicating — that he was robbed and he will not accept the results.
Guess what? Like sending troops to a U.S. city, this also has happened before.
Not that long ago — George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000, remember?
The results were disputed, but at no point did President Bill Clinton suggest he would not leave his office.
What happened?
It went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which decided, and its ruling was accepted by all parties, even the ones that vehemently disagreed.
So, if the election outcome is disputed in November 2020, it will go to the Supremes. If they rule the election was fair, what military commander would obey Trump’s order to protect him in the White House?
What solider would obey an illegal order?
I say, none.
If you disagree, you have a very low opinion of the men and women who guarantee your freedom.
But wait, I hear others say, I kind of worked on an assumption that the majority conservative Supreme Court would rule against Trump.
Ah, but I did not say they would rule for or against Trump.
I said the Supreme Court would validate the election, an election that if open to tampering at all, would be by Russia pumping Trump.
A true conservative would put the Constitution and the rule of law above the interests of the president, any president.
Am I following my faith in America rather than my usual political skepticism?
Yes, I am.
If Trump loses, he will leave, I have no fear.
The bigger fear is that he wins.
“Reality determines my political positions, not vice versa”. Time to change that headline in your bio.
I recall Republican primary opponents claiming Trump would never support the nominee if he didn’t win. Guess what those same Republicans became Never Trumpers, refusing to support him.
Surprise Trumps wins and the Democrats hatch the Russian conspiracy, abuse the FISA courts to spy on him and desperately try to frame him.
So your biggest fear is he wins re-election?
Is he a flawed person? Show me a President that wasn’t. Does he exaggerate? Show me a politician who doesn’t.
Your biggest fear is coming so you’d better be prepare to accept reality.
Does he say things that are head scratchers? Have you read your own posts and old articles?
I have read my old posts and columns and one thing is true: On the rare occasion I have made a factual error, I have corrected it. Unlike you-know-who, who does not merely “exaggerate’ and make unforced errors, he lies even when he doesn’t have to. I covered him in Atlantic City and learned then he uses lies as a business tactic.
I don’t ask too much of politicians, merely that they conduct themselves with something approaching dignity and grace. Trump fails.
I seem to recall the election of 1960, when John Kennedy’s father’s ties to the mob helped steal the election by rigging votes in Illinois and West Virginia. The classiest person in that whole mess was Richard Nixon, who refused to put the nation through the nightmare of a recount. That election remains, if I am not mistaken, the closes presidential election in the history of the nation.
I agree completely with your sentiments.
There is one other scenario that is possible, although it has never happened:
If for any reason, the electoral college cannot declare who won the election, by constitutional law, the election must be decided by the US House of Representatives.
The current one. Guess given who is in the majority now that would go?
Excellent point! The House would declare the Democrat the winner and then we are back to my original hypothesis — he won’t leave.
But he will be forced out.
What makes you think Democrat will still hold the house in 2020? Sounds like wish full thinking again.
You better prepare your safe spaces!
The average working stiff, aka deplorables had enough of the bs and voted for Trump. Nothing that’s gone on the past two years has changed their minds. In fact it’s made them more determined than ever to not let the ultra biased media get their way.
John, did you expect the Dems to win some 40 seats in 2018? That same dynamic makes me think they will hold the House. If not, in the hypothetical case, the House will install Trump in the White House.
Stu,
Could have skipped to the bottom line…FEAR!
The rest–all speculation.
When Obama, the darling of the MSM, was reelected, I went on with my life, unlike the many Trump haters. Their hate consumes their hearts. America’s heart beats and will continue to beat when Trump is reelected.
America is a strong, vibrant nation, able to digest the best of presidents (e.g., Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan) and the worst (e.g., Jimmy Carter, Millard Fillmore) and move along the continuum as thought nothing happened. We have shot our presidents, scorned them for their politics, railed at their dishonesty, recoiled at their promiscuity, believed them all too often and mistrusted them not enough. Like the erection who walks like a man, Bill Clinton, or the community activist, Obama, who couldn’t talk to grade schoolers without a teleprompter (and thought there are 57 states in the USA), Donald Trump will, eventually, be just a footnote in history books.
In case you haven’t noticed, Tom, my life continues. “Fear” is subjective. I fear it might rain today, but I’m going out anyway.
Touche!
Who was it who said, “May you live in interesting times”? Ah, yes, the Chinese philosopher Qi. And it is considered a curse. Kinda almost fits this particular article, Stu. Otherwise, some salient points regarding what might go down. I can’t believe our current buffoon, err, president, would go that far. But I’ve been wrong before .
These ARE interesting times.
Remember this Chinese saying: “That which does not kill you…will probably scar you for life.”
Vincent….very good! The prez’ current Teflon will keep those scars off for only so long.
Never say never….
HAPPY MONDAY !!!
My name is Tony, and I am a deplorable. I met Mr Trump when he bought his first casino. As a business man, he was / is ruthless. Keep in mind, regardless of business or politics, two parties must agree on the out come.
Having said that, as you all know, most of us Trump followers accept his many many short comings. We know that he is a showman, therefore, his rallies are a really big show !
Aside from that, we have our 45th President, who unlike many others, declares his love for God and Country. Take a step back and a deep breath people. The man is trying to right many wrongs in our nation’s capital. Professional politicians – regardless of party affiliate, don’t care about us. How could so many people be blind to how the American public has been treated ? How can those same people hate a President that is giving his all ? Think about it for a moment . He’s a billionaire that could be working on his next billion ! Instead, he’s trying to help ALL Americans have a better life . Do any of you remember when health insurance was an easy to read contract ? Are you old enough to remember when you could more than get by on your ONE family paycheck ?
I was involved in Philly politics way back when. I have continued to be involved the business of my township, wherever I reside. I try to see things in a better light and hope to have a favorable impact on the issues at hand . My reward is as I improve my way of life, I also improve that of my fellow man . I think that our President Trump is trying to do the exact same thing.
Tony