So, let's say it's November 4, 2020

[hamsterjill]

Trump is insisting that he won and won’t give up the Presidency. What happens? Because Democrats need to have a plan for this.

I see this as more of a possibility as each day passes. There is NO way I will ever believe that Trump wins re-election. No way. I don’t think he won in 2016. I think he cheated and I think he will cheat again.

Yes, go ahead and call me paranoid. But I’d rather be paranoid than unprepared. What does Biden do? What do we do? We didn’t do anything in 2016. Will it be the same in 2020?

[katmondoo]

1. I believe people are already planning what to do if trump won't give up the Presidency.

[elleng]

2. ENOUGH!

“The American people will decide this election,” Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said. “And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”

[Stuart G]

3. Trump will go quietly..Here is why..He will lose at least 40 of the 50 states.

Why? He is a liar, a con man, and a bully. When he loses 40 of 50 states, he will know he has lost and leave quietly. Maybe 350-400 electoral votes for Biden. Maybe more..Trump will not insist that he won, because he lost it so bad. That is my prediction..(take it for what it is worth, but I have watched politics closely for more than 45 years.)

[exboyfil]

8. I hope so

but I don't see how Biden wins 40 states.

[Tribetime]

44. If he has 40 his electoral vote will be 450 area

[exboyfil]

4. It comes down to electoral ballots in the ballot box

His lawyers will contest any close election in the courts (see 2000), and he even might try to corrupt the state legislatures in GOP controlled states to invalidate their election if he can't find a way to tip it to him.

I wouldn't be surprised if their are power outages in urban areas in states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania during the election.

Every dirty trick that you can imagine.

Unlike 2016 I assume Biden would mount the best defense that he can in the courts.

I hate to say it, but I think it is still more likely than not that Trump has more electoral votes in the box when they are counted. The USSC will back him on it. I don't know if Ginsburg will even be able to hear cases at that point, and it might not matter given there is a solid 4 and a likely 5th.

Our country could be headed towards civil war.

[smirkymonkey]

13. +1000

[hamsterjill]

15. Another +1000

n/t

[Fiendish Thingy]

21. Are you suggesting Trump will fraudulently stuff the EV ballot box?

Not bloody likely - look up the process- these aren’t secret, anonymous ballots, they are signed by the electors and certified before being transported under armed guard to the Capitol. Any discrepancy would be immediately noticed.

I suppose he could try to bribe a Biden elector to switch to Trump (or Kanye), but again, SCOTUS just affirmed criminal penalties for faithless electors.

[Wounded Bear]

28. I want 30-35 blue states. I want 400 EC votes...

I'm greedy like that.

[patricia92243]

6. The Supreme Court would make a ruling if necessary, and if Trump

loses, he is no longer President and would be forcibly removed if necessary.

[hamsterjill]

17. Yes, the court that Trump has stacked.

See the concern?

[SoonerPride]

7. If he tries to use force to stay in power then he will he met with force

I don’t think that will happen

More likely is he will appeal to his supporters to kill democrats and that will happen.

[hamsterjill]

14. That's one of my fears.

There are a lot of crazy QAnon followers out there.

[Bengus81]

9. As Mike Malloy always said he will be LEGALLY and PEACEFULLY removed from the WH.....

On 1/20/21. Or the new COMMANDER IN CHIEF can order the military to remove that THUG.

[USALiberal]

10. He will be removed! He is a private citizen at that point. Why do people keep asking this??? nt

[hamsterjill]

12. Because he has gotten away with everything else.

Do you not see that? He acts like a dictator and so far, at least, he hasn’t been stopped. I’m

[USALiberal]

20. Because he is president and has power to do things! Come 1/20/21, he has no more power than you!

[Fiendish Thingy]

22. You say this without any evidence to support your claim

Please explain, in detail, how Trump could use the power of the presidency to remain in office, especially once the EV’s have been certified by congress.

[hamsterjill]

32. How did he steal 2016?

Because he did.

[JI7]

39. It is easier to steal when it's closer. Hillary was dealing within decades

of right wing attacks, the so called left that booed her at the convention and still trying to sue her primary win. The fucked up misogyny and Comey to top it all off.

And she still won millions more votes and it came down to very few votes over 3 states.

Biden isn't dealing with most of that shit.

[Fiendish Thingy]

43. Do your own research rather than speculating

He won the rust belt by 77,000 votes, a margin narrow enough to be managed by convincing a handful of voters in each precinct to vote third party or stay home.

[Sherman A1]

11. We won't know on November 4th

or perhaps for several days due to the large amount of mail in ballots. This election will take time and we need to be patient.

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. There is a process in place - dates to remember: Dec. 14 & Jan. 6

IIRC, Dec. 14 is the date that each states’ electors must be appointed and cast their votes, and Jan. 6 is when the new congress counts and certifies the electoral votes.

It doesn’t matter what Trump says, it matters what he does...

I’m sure he will have lawyers challenge the results in any states with close margins, but most states don’t allow recounts unless the margin falls below 0.5%. That’s why Biden must win the swing states with a margin that can withstand any challenges. Trump will try to challenge mail in ballots as fraudulent, but I don’t think that will get far in court.

There has been some concern about states with Republican legislatures refusing to appoint electors, but in many states, the legislature has no power over the appointment of electors, it is the role of the Secretary of State to certify the popular vote and appoint electors as prescribed by law. In Michigan, for example, the SoS must appoint electors based on the outcome of the popular vote.

If Trump or any states’ GOP legislature succeeds in blocking the appointment of any electors, that just lowers the total needed to win the presidency. Some have worried that this strategy would throw the decision to the house, where each state gets 1 vote, but that only applies if neither candidate gets a majority of the appointed electors, which is not possible if electors are split between just 2 candidates- except for a tie (the times in the past that the house has had to decide elections has only occurred when 3-4 candidates earned electoral votes or there was a tie).

If things turn out as projected in current polls, Trump will have to brazenly attempt to overturn the will of the people in numerous states- a strategy not likely to succeed, IMO.

Once the EV’s are certified by congress, Trump can wreak havoc as a lame duck, but he is powerless to avoid the reality of his term ending on January 20, 2021.

[smirkymonkey]

18. I put nothing past him and those who wish to keep him in power. Nothing.

I am hoping for the best, but whatever happens it's going to be a shit-show. All I know is that I am planning on taking that entire week off. I don't want to be out there and I wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything anyway.

[hamsterjill]

37. I don't put anything past him either.

That’s why I’m begging that Dems have a plan. Biden cannot just give up like Al Gore was forced to do.

[smirkymonkey]

41. Exactly. They have to act as if HE WILL refuse to concede if he loses.

I don't see him graciously accepting defeat. It is not in his makeup. I really hope they are planning to be prepared for this eventuality.

The other plan should be to challenge an invalid Trump victory, because I don't believe that will be legitimate either.

[hamsterjill]

45. There is NO way he will legitimately win.

But he will cheat to the last breath. As I’ve said in other posts, he’s no longer any use to Putin when he’s no longer President and that is enough to scare the shit out of him I’m sure. He is and will remain desperate to win and he will try anything and everything.

[lastlib]

19. There is only one scenario that remotely worries me---

On election day, he pulls off enough dirty tricks (like power outages to polling places/election HQs) that the legitimate vote count can't be established in key states. So he goes to court, and "miraculously" get those states to swing his way, or maybe hangs up the Electoral College voting, and the packed SCOTUS rules in his favor.

It may be far-fetched, but I can never say he wouldn't try it to stay in power. "Reichstag fire" has been in the back of my mind since November 2016......

[Fiendish Thingy]

23. See post #16 above - there certain things Trump has no power over nt

[sop]

24. The problem isn't that he loses and refuses to leave, it's that he refuses to lose and pursues every

available remedy in every legislature and court across the country, then takes everything to the SC. This is what Trump always does when he refuses to accept defeat.

[hamsterjill]

38. This!!

Yes. He won’t ever acknowledge the loss. And his Republican enablers will continue to back him.

[jimlup]

25. I agree with you completely

except it wasn't "he" who cheated. Someone else above him cheated and the Don knew. This person above Don't name has initials V and P.

[hamsterjill]

36. Agreed

And V and P will no longer have any use for D and T if he is no longer President. V and P might kill D and T if he loses and no longer has value. That might be incentive to “win” by any means.

You and I understand that we are no longer dealing with anything normal where Trump is concerned.

[sarisataka]

26. *sigh*

Where in any official US document does it say the sitting President must accept that he lost and/or has the option to give up the office?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

27. When the ballot boxes are carried off by camouflaged guys with no badges,

and loaded into nondescript rented minivans,

then the election results might be acceptable to him.

[we can do it]

29. JUST STOP. We don't need this shit every few hours.

[hamsterjill]

30. Then don't read the posts. Put me on ignore.

The SOB stole 2016 and I’m not going to stop screaming this to the mountaintop.

The “oh, everything is going to work out fine” isn’t true. Because everything is, if you haven’t noticed, in the shitter.

[we can do it]

34. Yes everything is in the shitter. Does not mean he can squat in our WH when he loses.

“The American people will decide this election,” Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said. “And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”

[hamsterjill]

35. I hope you're right.

But he won’t ever admit that he lost. That’s the fear. He knows his ass is grass if he loses. Whether he goes to jail or goes to Russia and Putin kills him because he no longer has any use. Plus, he’s crazy.

[USALiberal]

46. LOL, ok! nt

[JI7]

47. Russian attacks have not worked as well against Biden so far

[ecstatic]

31. I'm rioting in DC.

I cannot and will not do another 4 years of this shit. Period. Point. Blank.

[hamsterjill]

33. I'm at that point, too.

Another four years of this shit and there will be nothing left.

[Awsi Dooger]

40. Trump will declare victory in the night of November 3rd

That is the one guarantee.

He'll brainwash his supporters into believing it, and that any other result means left wing theft.

[kentuck]

42. I never thought I would see the day the press would be called "the enemy of the people"..

But, it has become commonplace - like fake news.

Never in my seven decades here had I heard any politician call the press the enemy of the people.

Now it sounds almost normal.

Nothing is predictable or guaranteed for November 4th.

[hamsterjill]

48. Agreed.

There are many things that have become “normalized” over the last four years that I would never have expected to see in this country.

There is no telling what Trump will do. Each time he’s pulled something, the optimist in me has said “maybe that will be what brings him down” and each time, he’s gotten away with what he wanted to accomplish.

I take nothing for granted in this election.

[lame54]

49. Put a lock on his gate - cut the power...

I have a spare room Joe can run the country from