Morning Joe suggests Trump may 'leave the stage' rather than suffer 400 electoral vote blowout

[marmar]

Saying the Donald Trump “fears losing more than he cares about winning,” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough suggested the president might step aside rather than go down in a historic defeat in November’s election.

With co-host Mika Brzezinski noting several normally Republican states showing the president losing to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Scarborough and “Morning Joe” regular Donny Deutsch agreed that — for the moment — it appears that the President has given up on trying to win the election. ............(more)

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/morning-joe-suggests-trump-may-leave-the-stage-rather-than-suffer-400-electoral-vote-blowout-in-november/?fbclid=IwAR3ns7AJwNvgM0bzXkK51xo8kvGz9TKqaiTKtX8sDj91gIMMO5srSxNMp7I

[gollygee]

1. My dad has been saying this for ages

That he's too much of a narcissist to allow himself to lose - he'd rather quit and come up with a stupid excuse for it.

[Yavin4]

19. "he'd rather quit and come up with a stupid excuse for it."

Bonespurs? Worked once before.

[LonePirate]

2. I wonder what wins out: 45's addiction to the spotlight or his pride in being viewed as a winner.

The former will keep him in the race as withdrawing from the races immediately shifts the spotlight to Pence or the replacement nominee. He becomes yesterday’s news. If it is the latter, then the worse the outlook is, the sooner that happens. I have no idea what side of his personality will win this battle.

[NurseJackie]

3. There would need to be a pardon in it for him.

[Siwsan]

11. I've never understood how anyone can be pardoned before being tried/convicted.

I thought the same thing when Nixon was pardoned by Ford. And it would have to be an overwhelmingly comprehensive pardon to avoid charges coming out of New York. I think one of the reasons he's NOT going to walk away is his fear of the charges and litigation awaiting him, once he loses 'presidential executive immunity'.

[unblock]

17. It's to prevent a pointless or malicious prosecution

Standard procedure is certainly to wait until the accused has gone through the legal process, for a variety of reasons. But a situation actually warrants a pardon after trial and conviction, why waste everyone's time and effort and money.

Carter pardoned the "draft dodgers", for instance. Many had fled the country to avoid even getting arrested. Merely promising to pardon anyone who comes back and is later tried and convicted of it wouldn't have convinced many people to come back. Of course, a lot of them didn't come back anyway,...

[Siwsan]

20. I am wiser, today, because of you. Thanks!

[Demsrule86]

29. You can pardon for crimes not yet charged.

[Demsrule86]

30. You can pardon for crimes not yet charged.

[mnmoderatedem]

4. I could see that happen

ol' donnie dumbfuck could exit blaming fake news, absentee ballots, COVID which will be "not my fault", and other face saving measures in order to try to gracefully bow out when he realizes he's about to get his fat ass handed to him. Because to him, losing is worse than not winning, this way he has what is in his mind a valid excuse, of which otherwise he surely would have won.

Thing is, SDNY is waiting in the wings.

[durablend]

15. "YOU NEVER LOVED MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

[ProudMNDemocrat]

26. Reminds me of the frat racine scene in GLADIATOR....

When Commode screams..."If only you had loved me!" before he smothers his father when told he would not be Emperor.

Trump is worse than Commode morally and ethically.

[Rorey]

5. I've been saying this for awhile

Further, I think if he doesn't step down for "health reasons" or some other excuse, and he actually stays in until the election, he'll leave the WH the day after the election. He'll go to Maralago and throw his fit. The transition will happen without him.

[AleksS]

13. This is absolutely true.

He will 100% not help the transition in the best case scenario.

In the worst case scenario he actively and vindictively hinders it (destroying documents, firing transition staff, wiping computers, etc. )

I hope he only slinks to Mar a Lardo to tweet about it. I’m sure even a lame duck (especially with McConnell and Barr assistance) can do a lot of damage in 2 months.

[sunonmars]

36. I've said this, Melania would be packed by the end of the night and gone before he woke up.

He would not give one shit. He'd probably resign and let Pence be President for 3 months.

[Rorey]

41. It wouldn't surprise me if she's out of there before the election.

I don't feel a bit sorry for her, but I think this whole thing has been hell for her.

[Buckeyeblue]

6. He would need to do it prior to the nomination is finalized

And any nominee would have to kiss his ass to get his base to vote. Otherwise, he could tell them to stay home, which would lead to historic losses. Then he could gloat about Republicans not being able to win without him.

[tinrobot]

39. He doesn't care. If he pulls out, I suspect it will be after the nomination.

He'll go to Florida and have one last rally to massage his ego, then he'll bail on the general to avoid criticism/loss.

In doing it that way, he'll screw the Republicans on the way out the door, which is typical for him.

[Buckeyeblue]

40. I think once the nomination is final his name will stay on the ballot

Maybe he'll drop out at the convention. Who knows. He does seem like the type that would rather quit than get beat. Especially get beat as an incumbent.

[tman]

7. He won't step down.

He was on track to lose in 2016. He thought he would lose.

He'll hold out for 2020 being another 2016.

[lastlib]

8. The presidency is his 'get out of jail free' card.

He won't give that up without a guarantee of a pardon from Mother's son. Otherwise, when the chickens come home to roost, he and his crime ring/family are likely to be looking at lo-o-o-onnng stretches....

[Doodley]

9. He would need to be 20 points behind, really believe he will lose, even with cheating, and

too far behind to claim the result was rigged, and he would have a health condition that would mean he would have to exit, but he'd tell his base he will be back for them with his own media company.

[Squidly]

10. I want him to stay in the race

My fear is if he did step down, thats going to give every nevertrumper, every Repub that has vowed not to vote for him to do a 180 and vote for whoever the R candidate is. The Lincoln Project, Repubs Against Trump, will all immediately switch gears and go after Joe.
I dont want another 4 years of a Repub administration, especially one possibly headed by a religious zealot like Pence.

[pnwest]

12. This, exactly Everyone who was

going to “hold their nose” and vote for Biden, will breathe a sigh of relief and vote for any Republican that ends up on the ticket.

[PTWB]

16. Right?

One of the main reason Biden was selected as our candidate was his perceived strength against Trump. If Trump quit and they ran a moderate Republican, that would essentially be invalidating our entire primary process.

[JI7]

21. The LP goes after other Republicans also. And they support other Democrats like Montana Gov

they aren't going to change just becsuse trump may not run. send even that world involve things like pardons.

[Squidly]

23. I'll believe that when I see it

They are going after them now because they are tied to tRump. Take tRump out of the equation and they will be singing a completely different tune.

[JI7]

27. it's good for republicans to reject trump .

[HotTeaBag]

34. I don't believe that to be true.

At least not entirely true - the true Never Trumpers have gone well beyond Trump the person to wanting to destroy Trumpism itself. They are very much on board with ridding the Republican party of every last bit of it, and Trump not running would not take Trump out of the picture - Republicans would still be very much cowed by his followers and his tweets.

In fact he may even wield more power outside of the Oval Office, as then he could go much, much further into the 'poor me' act of grievance getting sympathy for being 'driven out of office'.

The Never Trumpers are also going after his enablers in Congress and elsewhere in government who have gone from what passes as a 'normal Republican' to boot-licking sycophants.

So, I don't think Trump being gone would be the end of the Lincoln Project - not by a long shot.

[MoonchildCA]

35. He might get those votes...

...but what will happen to his rabid cult-like base? They will be so angry and despondent, I can’t see them coming out in masses to vote for his replacement. Trump has already turned them off of any “reasonable” republican. They see them as their enemies.

[honest.abe]

14. How would that work exactly? How would the new candidate get on the ballot of each state?

Doesnt a candidate have to register in each state to be on the ballot in November? Isnt there some sort of deadline to register by state? It would seem those deadlines would have passed by now.

[Squidly]

18. Not sure

But there has to be a mechanism to allow for a resignation, removal or death.

[quickesst]

22. Even if drump quits....

....and is replaced, I don't think Joe Biden is in any danger of losing the election simply because of the devastating damage the idiot has already caused with the aid of an impotent and corrupt republican Senate majority. Even if some never trumpers pull a 180 on Joe, it still won't be enough. This is my opinion, but it's that opinion that keeps me driven, and optimistic. JOE BIDEN 2020!!!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

24. Should we assume Trump's getting/hearing more accurate info about polling than matters of state?

He refuses to believe, understand, or even listen to unpleasant facts about anything else he has to deal with so why would bad polling numbers ever sink in? Or is marketing himself that much more in his wheelhouse than doing real work?

[chriscan64]

25. Running for reelection is all he has done since losing the popular vote.

He is psychologically incapable of thinking he will lose, at least in a fair election. If the polls say he will lose, they are lies. If a contagious disease threatens his chances by slowing the economy, then it is no longer or maybe never was contagious. If the actual election results say he lost then there was fraud.

The only thing going on in his tiny mind for the last four years is wanting to correct the misconception that more people think he is not great than think he is. He wants it more than the wall or the end of the Affordable Care Act.

If you believe he will quit, I respect you and your opinion. Maybe you're right and I'm wrong. I think he will stick it out to the bitter end and beyond. We could see him demanding a recount for the rest of his life.

[eShirl]

28. he could step down "for medical reasons"

and not be lying

[dalton99a]

31. Trump will not resign for health reasons.

The most perfect person is in excellent health and is never sick

[JmAln]

32. He's not going anywhere,

but I think he may dump Pence. Maybe put Nikki Haley in the VP spot to shake up the campaign and help his standing with women.

[ooky]

33. He won't do anything. He never does

anything. He is incapable of taking any actions. He just talks.

He will just continue to wallow in the deteriorating shit pile he has created, lying, and blaming others for everything.

[tinrobot]

37. Be careful what you wish for. When he gives up on winning, he will be truly unleashed.

He will smash and grab as much as he can on the way out.

He will also try to enact revenge on those who wronged him, even if that means destroying the country.

[Vinca]

38. I think that's wishful thinking. Since Obama won 2 terms easily, Trump MUST run.

We'll be lucky if he doesn't pull a Putin and want a law to stay in the office until he's 90. I'm still hoping I'll get to moon a state funeral before January.