# A rational look at what Trump will/won't/can/can't do in his next term **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [November 7, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876 "2024-11-07T17:59:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/121 "2024-11-09T23:18:30Z")
Plus, many people, myself included, I have very strong financial and emotional ties to our local area. Abandoning that is a hugely significant step that can’t be taken any less lightly than the possibilities of what Trump may do. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/122 "2024-11-09T23:36:44Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > > Bluto’s right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now, we could fight 'em with conventional weapons. That could take years and cost millions of lives. No, in this case, I think we have to go all out. I think this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part. > > [**SOURCE**](https://speakola.com/movie/john-belushi-animal-house-blutos-big-speech-1978) > I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops….uh, depending on the breaks. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/123 "2024-11-09T23:48:08Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’ve already written to my governor-elect about how I hope he intends to oppose Trump to the best of his ability. What are you doing besides fearmongering? Well, I’m not normalizing this situation by trying to assert that the normal remedies of legal challenges, future electoral considerations, and the fearsome letter writing campaign are going to restrain the avowed plans to tear down the institutions of democratic governance, restrain Trump from using all means available to the executive to persecute his vengeance upon the long list of political opponents he has threatened, and trying to deport untold millions of immigrants. To be quite frank I don’t know what I’m going to do yet because I don’t know how this will evolve but the notion that this is just going to be business as normal under a slightly more onerous and inept Trump administration is not consistent by what Trump and his swamp have said they are going to do and the authority they will have to do it. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/124 "2024-11-10T00:03:37Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > but the notion that this is just going to be business as normal under a slightly more onerous and inept Trump administration is not consistent by what Trump and his swamp have said they are going to do And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that we can always believe what Trump and his swamp say. /s ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/125 "2024-11-10T00:16:29Z")
As I told my wife earlier today, many of the bad things you expect aren’t going to happen. What actually happens will be different bad things. Many of them will catch you by surprise. Some of them will be slow-burn problems whose true impact won’t be apparent until much later. The fascists will want to do some big dick-swinging right out of the gate. Cabinet appointments will be a seemingly endless series of bitter pills to choke down. There will be a few high-profile marquee actions, and then things will quiet down as battle lines are drawn and palace intrigue starts to ramp up. Beyond that, I feel it’s futile to speculate too much, especially given there’s 3 months to inauguration and it will be longer before they fully show their hand. We have to take this one day at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/126 "2024-11-10T00:18:14Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Flee the country, if you can. Not on your life. This is my country and I’m not surrendering it to a temporarily-empowered lunatic fringe. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/127 "2024-11-10T00:18:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Not on your life. This is my country and I’m not surrendering it to a boisterous minority. You already lost it to them. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/128 "2024-11-10T00:38:09Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > You already lost it to them Tell that to my Democratic governor-elect and my two Democratic senators and our Democratic congressman and the neighboring town’s congressman who just beat a hard maga candidate and to the Democrats who swept every single statewide election and our Democrat sheriff who beat his maga predecessor and the voters who overwhelmingly rejected a slate of maga ballot propositions. We don’t seem to have gotten the memo. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/129 "2024-11-10T01:23:57Z")
Two questions. 1. Has any previous president tested their limits of their power more than Trump did? 2. Is it possible that, in part due to Trump, buying Twitter turned out to be a canny move? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/130 "2024-11-10T02:43:59Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Tell that to my Democratic governor-elect and my two Democratic senators and our Democratic congressman and the neighboring town’s congressman who just beat a hard maga candidate and to the Democrats who swept every single statewide election and our Democrat sheriff who beat his maga predecessor and the voters who overwhelmingly rejected a slate of maga ballot propositions. None of that matters. The Republicans control the Federal government and will be able to simple ignore or smash anyone who tries to stop them from doing anything. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/131 "2024-11-10T02:48:18Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The Republicans control the Federal government and will be able to simple ignore or smash anyone who tries to stop them from doing anything. You know who isn’t fleeing the country? Joe Biden. Kamala Harris. Barack Obama. Nancy Pelosi. Chuck Schumer. Adam Schiff. Taylor Swift. Beyonce. Stormy Daniels. George Clooney. Bill and Hillary Clinton. George Conway. Mark Cuban. I could go on. Either these people are all completely ignorant of the unstoppable torrent of death and destruction that is going to kill them and tens of millions of other Americans no matter what anyone does, or you’re exaggerating. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/132 "2024-11-10T03:01:55Z")
Can you say with absolute certainty – and being prepared to cite your source – that none of the people you named has an exit plan for if the shit hits the fan? If not, then I’m not sure what purpose you think naming them serves. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/133 "2024-11-10T03:02:53Z")
Exactly. Everyone is talking like this a permanent shift. This has happened many times before. Sooner or later the pendulum will swing to the left. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/134 "2024-11-10T03:08:06Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Everyone is talking like this a permanent shift. This has happened many times before. Sooner or later the pendulum will swing to the left. America has never been entirely ruled by fascists before. And people have been telling me for _decade_s that “the pendulum would swing to the left” for decades now, and it’s never happened. There’s no “pendulum”, there’s a ratchet. And now that it’s all the way to the Right the Republicans are going to break the handle so it can never be turned back. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/135 "2024-11-10T03:13:21Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > America has never been entirely ruled by fascists before. And it isn’t about to be, either. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > And people have been telling me for _decade_s that “the pendulum would swing to the left” for decades now, and it’s never happened. How many states had gay marriage “decades ago”? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/136 "2024-11-10T03:16:02Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Can you say with absolute certainty – and being prepared to cite your source – that none of the people you named has an exit plan for if the shit hits the fan? I don’t need to. According to the person I was responding to, the shit has already hit the fan and we’ll all be lucky if we make it to Thanksgiving before Trump’s death squads start murdering half the population. That the people who are presumably highest on Trump’s “enemies list” aren’t acting like this is the case demonstrates that that person is overreacting. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/137 "2024-11-10T03:18:18Z")
I think this is one exact definition of a Straw Man Argument. Rather than try to address the most extreme forms of argument about Trump 2.0, why not address the stronger or the strongest arguments? Wouldn’t that be a better crucible in which to forge _your own_ positions? The people you mentioned are people of wealth and power. I would wager handsomely that they _all_ have exit plans. Just because “right now” is the trigger _you_ would expect them to use … doesn’t mean that’s the trigger that _they_ will use. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/138 "2024-11-10T03:20:25Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > That the people who are presumably highest on Trump’s “enemies list” aren’t acting like this is the case demonstrates that that person is overreacting. George Clooney, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are presumably highest on Trump’s “enemies list”??? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/139 "2024-11-10T03:23:53Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > The people you mentioned are people of wealth and power. I would wager handsomely that they _all_ have exit plans. Just because “right now” is the trigger _you_ would expect them to use … doesn’t mean that’s the trigger that _they_ will use. Well, if you insist, > **[Biden speaks to nation after Harris' loss to Trump: "We accept the choice the...](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-speech-trump-election-2024/)** > > President Biden addressed the nation on the election results and the transition of power, with his predecessor set to return to the White House. You’ll note that Biden is asking for unity and love, not telling Democrats to GTFO before Trump has them all killed. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876/140 "2024-11-10T03:25:05Z")
Does Biden’s speech mean that the people you named _don’t_ have an exit plan for if things take a dark turn? If not, then what point are you hoping to make by linking _to_ that speech? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rational-look-at-what-trump-will-wont-can-cant-do-in-his-next-term/1009876.md?page=8)