What happens if Trump decides he won't take part in a presidential debate?

[CTyankee]

He is not under any constraints. He is not constitutionally required to debate his opposition. His followers will follow and say "Hell, no. Why should he debate?"

Could this happen? And can he still win without debating his opponent? Will we have a "national emergency" requiring his full concentration and attention?

[alwaysinasnit]

1. Wouldn't it be funny if we end up with a woman nominee, Harris for example, and she calls him out

for his cowardice in not wanting to debate her? Think of the visuals in that scenario. It could happen.

[CincyDem]

2. Nah - I think he'll just come out and say it straight...

...why should I share the spotlight with a socialist who is going to use my YUGE TV audience drawing power to try and pull the wool over your eyes. We all know THEY are going to lie to you and I won't let them sully the reputation of the office by using it to lie to you.

And I suspect the if any network gives our candidate the time, he'll spend it tweet storming the latest round of bullchit he's spewing.

[ooky]

54. I think he would be better off to come to the debate where he can both lie and interrupt

during his opponent's time to talk and disrupt the debate. By not debating our candidate could use the time to hold town halls and talk about all the things Trump promised to do and then didn't do.

[jberryhill]

3. Then he won't take part in a presidential debate

He did that once before, incidentally, during the GOP primaries. He decided to skip a debate and hold a rally instead.

Can it happen? Sure, why not.

Presidential candidate debates on television became a 'thing' with Nixon and Kennedy, but haven't always happened - not even since then.

There were no debates between the general election candidates for president in the elections of 1964, 1968 or 1972. What happened then? Nothing.

[CTyankee]

20. And if a woman is our candidate she can simply ask "Are you afraid of me, Mr. President?"

"Maybe you are afraid to debate me. Is that it?"

I can see Kamala Harris saying that. It would make Trump go batshit...

[LakeArenal]

29. If he won't debate he shouldn't have any press at his rallies.

[4139]

4. Hillary won all three debates.... trump thinks he did, his ego will make him go to the debates

[H2O Man]

48. Correct.

[rampartc]

5. put an empty chair at the podium

and run video from his speech or show the tweet that addresses the question

then our candidate can state why trump is stupid.

[Raven123]

6. The media will have a conniption and ignore the important issues in this campaign

[DeeDeeNY]

7. What happens if he loses the election and refuses to leave?

That scares me more.

[CTyankee]

10. That's a good question. My guess is that the Capitol police come and announce that they are there

to provide him assistance in leaving the White House. Two officers, one on each side, will then take him out, arm in arm, and providing him with transportation to wherever he designates. In the meantime, other appointed staff will clear the Oval Office of any of his staff and escort them out if necessary.

This is what I want to see: Trump with two plainclothes officers marching him out, any staff to follow, put him in a limosine and drive away. Kellyanne will have snuck out the back and apprehended by officers who will escort her to a car. She'll spout her shit but no microphones will be available so we'll just see her face, contorted in rage.

I will have popcorn ready for this event!

[leftieNanner]

16. Images that we will celebrate!

Without question.

The time that makes me uncomfortable is between November and January 20th. He can cause an awful lot of mischief in those few months. WHEN he looses, you know he won't accept the results. He will challenge it 100%.

[lunatica]

30. I like how you plan ahead

LOL!

[DeeDeeNY]

56. It's my paranoia!

But in all seriousness, Michael Cohen in his testimony actually said he doesn’t think Trump will leave office “peacefully”. And he knows him well.

[drray23]

40. Something along those lines

But it would not be the Capitol police. They have no jurisdiction in the white house. It would be the secret service. After all, they would answer to the new president. At this point Trump would be a citizen trespassing on the white house grounds so he would be removed.

[CTyankee]

55. Oh, okay! That's even better.

"You'll have to come with me, Mr. Trump."

[First Speaker]

22. It depends on the attitude of the rest of the GOP...

...if Graham and Pence and McConnell and Fox "News" all start bleating about the Dems "stealing" the election--ie, if they go full Trumpbot--then God help us all. If they openly question the legitimacy of the Electoral College count, or attempt to suborn the electors, it would be up to the Supreme Court. Hah. We could have a crisis every bit as bad as 1876 or 1860.

[Fullduplexxx]

24. What like clutch on to the door frame as his carried out?

[Midnight Writer]

47. I am also worrried about the damage he could do in a lame duck status.

He will still have incredible power, to start military conflict, to punish his "enemies", to eviscerate the government institutions.

[Drunken Irishman]

51. He's removed. On 1/20/21, at noon, he no longer is the president...

I don't think Trump would do that because it'd end in his humiliation.

What I think he'll do is leave Washington early and refuse to partake in the inaugural events of the next president.

[Thekaspervote]

64. exactly! He'll go off in a tweet rampage. But go he will at noon on 1/20/21

He Might just as well be Cinderella’s carriage after midnight... just an old ugly orange pumpkin with no power and no say

[customerserviceguy]

53. I feel there is a real chance

that when he has to leave, either in 2021 or 2025 (god forbid!) that he will try to split the nation in two. That might be especially likely if he is followed up by a very progressive person.

[Captain Zero]

66. Lay siege to the white house and starve him out.

Should only take 48 hrs with no Big Macs or KFC.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. He doesn't have to show up, but our candidate would have the floor

all to him/herself. I really doubt that Dolt 45 would give up that much free publicity. And, since he thinks he's smarter than everyone else, he will assume he will win the debate hands down. Even when he gets his ass handed to him - as Hillary did - he'll tweet about how he's the best debater ever, and his cult followers will believe him.

[CTyankee]

12. And if the woman is the candidate, she won't stand for him to sneak up behind her.

She will tell him to take his seat and wait for his turn. If he doesn't leave, she will ask the moderators to take action. That will be fun to watch.

[leftieNanner]

17. Oh, man!

I still have that image of him stalking Hillary in my head.

What a certifiable creep!

[dalton99a]

9. He will show up for one debate, just to throw insults and make up shit

He will ignore all the rules, interrupt and talk over everyone

After the debate, he will declare victory - very very busy president, no more debates needed

[Goodheart]

11. I think the DNC should hold one, anyway. Put a paid actor up there to spew trump's own words.

[global1]

15. Play Video Clips Of Trump And His Lies And Bragging.....

No need for an actor - let Trump be Trump through video clips. Then the Dem Candidate can fact check and refute his lies.

[Andy823]

28. I like that idea!

[royable]

13. If Drumpf doesn't show up for a debate, a pumpkin on a podium should be his stand-in.

A little pumpkin, or perhaps a decorative gourd, one of those lumpy ones.

[fierywoman]

19. I'd prefer a little white mushroom.

[CTyankee]

21. to remind us of who we are debating...

[tritsofme]

14. Nixon refused to participate in 1968 and 1972.

Even if it might be good politics for Trump to skip, I just can’t imagine he could pass up the spotlight.

[dwayneb]

50. Ego is the main reason he might do it

This is the main reason Trump might do it. It would probably hurt him in the election. But the ego-strokes he would get out of being on stage in front of the world are probably worth it to him. That means more than winning again; in fact he probably has no desire to win again.

[uponit7771]

60. The Democratic candidates to show up and then he asked questions.

[fallout87]

18. What will happen?

Nothing.

[Turbineguy]

23. Uhhhhh.......

We don't have to listen to his bullshit?

[smirkymonkey]

25. Start calling him a coward and a wimp.

Make him seem weak and afraid in the eyes of the public and he will debate just to prove us wrong. Of course he will lose. He is stupid, inarticulate and has nothing of substance to run on. If he can't stir up hatred, he's got nothing.

[silentEcho]

27. Me too. I just said the same without weak. That works too.

[smirkymonkey]

35. Absolutely! The thing is is afraid of the most is being humiliated and being

portrayed as weak. We need to use this to our advantage. I really think the Democrats need to get some serious marketing help. There is so much to work with here.

[silentEcho]

37. What we do know is the Democratic Leaders will be held to an extreme level while

Trump and Republicans will never have any expectations applied to them. I do not think it is in the marketing, at all.

[smirkymonkey]

42. Commercials.

Blast it out there that he is weak and cowardly. Repeat them often from now until election day.

[CTyankee]

58. Ya know what? I think the Dems are already preparing several scenarios and will be prepared.

We can't be the only Dems thinking ahead...

[silentEcho]

26. Campaign on the coward he is.

[LakeArenal]

31. I doubt his supporters watch debates.

They get what they need to know at Fux Youz anyway.

[brush]

32. He'll lose even worse and be viewed as a coward.

Last edited Sat Jul 20, 2019, 09:56 PM - Edit history (1)

[Grasswire2]

33. some of us have assumed that will be the case...

....and so picking a nominee because he/she is a good debater is a fool's errand.

It's irrelevant.

[Lunabell]

34. I hope he refuses.

I'm sick of hearing his voice. It can be an hour long program dedicated to democratic ideas and plans for our future.

[solara]

36. What if there is a republican candidate?

Could that happen? Would trump have to debate the republican before he debates the Democratic candidate? I am not sure how this is gonna work. Isn't Bill Weld thinking of running against him?

[BlueJac]

38. He will attend...

his is a narcissist!

[procon]

39. He already did that last time, remember?

If he did it once, why wouldn't he do it again?

Trump says he won’t participate in GOP debate on Fox News

January 26, 2016
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump abruptly announced here Tuesday that he would not participate in Thursday’s scheduled debate, escalating his off-and-on feud with Fox News Channel and throwing the GOP campaign into turmoil.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-he-wont-participate-in-gop-debate-on-fox-news/2016/01/26/58fa0b2e-c490-11e5-a4aa-f25866ba0dc6_story.html?utm_term=.33a2a38c99d3

[Raine]

41. No way he won't, his ego would never

allow him to not participate.

[Fiendish Thingy]

43. Bock, Bock, Bock! He would lose even more

If he chickens out, they should fly a giant chicken along with the baby Trump balloon outside every campaign rally.

[JustAnotherGen]

44. I'm not expecting 45 to debate

The nominee.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

45. What a blessed relief that would be. NT

[vlyons]

46. He will be called a chicken-shit coward

and late comics will ridicule him with scairdy-cat routines - every night. Plus SNL will have wonderful skits of the Dem candidate debating an empty podium. Time magazine will have a really great snarky cover.

[napi21]

49. He COULD, but I doubt he would, especially if it's a one on one debate with the Dem.

Hiss ego wouldn't let him miss out on the publicity!

[customerserviceguy]

52. No chance of that happening

Sure, he won't give Bill Weld the time of day, it would be meaningless, but he craves attention, and wouldn't miss the opportunity to strut in front of a national audience.

[AlexSFCA]

57. not a chance, he won't turn down prime tv spot

[uponit7771]

59. The Democratic candidate should appear on stage without him

[redstateblues]

61. Paging Alec Baldwin

[murielm99]

63. You win!

That would be great.

[Thekaspervote]

62. Just like he found an excuse to not attend the NAACP conf. He knows the crowd will not be friendly

That he won’t be able to spew his hatred. He won’t bother to show up

[lame54]

65. Label him a coward - over and over

[Dirty Socialist]

67. I would tell anyone and everyone

Trump is a chickenshit coward

[keithbvadu2]

68. Clint Eastwood could support an empty chair.

Clint Eastwood could support an empty chair.

[keithbvadu2]

69. CONFIRMED Hillary Clinton met with Russian agent during 2016 election.

CONFIRMED Hillary Clinton met with Russian agent during 2016 election.