# How irreplaceable is Trump?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [February 17, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677 "2022-02-17T16:43:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/81 "2022-02-19T18:47:56Z")
> [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](#):
>
> > [@Temporary\_Name](#):
> >
> > It has occurred to me that I often forget to name another potential asset that Trump has and in my opinion puts to very good use. I am sure that Trump has a trunk full of opposition research on every elected member of congress-- especially the ones with ‘R’ after their names.
>
> That seems very unlikely. Trump has been battling a lot of enemies in the Republican party, but he has not released any opposition research on any of them. His go-to route has been to call them childish names (e.g. “Old Crow” etc. etc.), false claims (e.g. “he came begging for my endorsement and only won because of me”) and, if they are running for re-election, to endorse opposing primary candidates.
>
> > [@Temporary\_Name](#):
> >
> > I would bet that even back when Trump was just a corrupt businessman looking to influence government officials into looking the other way when he used illegal business tactics, he had a sizable amount of damnable evidence on some upper level Republicans.
>
> Back when Trump was just a businessman he was pretty much under the radar in terms of his illegal business tactics. The main government officials he needed to influence back then would have Democrats, who controlled the cities where he did his real estate developing and other ventures, and would have a lot of influence over things like permits and approvals etc.
I think Trump’s “shot across the bow” was the expose on Ted Cruz’s extramarital affairs that the National Enquirer ran during the 2016 primaries. Because I believe that many Congressmen have “Washington girlfriends” and that as long has they stick to discreet women that work for their political party, there’s a widespread “gentlemen’s agreement” of sorts to look the other way, unless they disappear.
And I believe that this article was Trump’s way of announcing to DC that he wasn’t respecting that gentlemen’s agreement.
It’s undisputed fact that Trump has attempted to use his own version of “kompromat” to intimidate political enemies. He’s done in at least twice, and we know this because in both cases the person he was trying to extort basically told him they weren’t going to play and the kompromat was released.
One of the two incidents involved journalists Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzenenski. He had his cronies at the National Enquirer following them and harassing their families while attempting to write an expose on their relationship. Then he had an associate call Scarborough and make an offer, he’d stop the story if Joe and Mika changed the tone of their reporting. Joe declined the offer. The Enquirer ran the story.
The other incident ( more serious) was the blackmailing of Jeff Bezos. There is credible speculation that Saudi government officials were involved in this incident, and they were looking to have the Washington Post ( which Bezos owns) back off on their coverage of the Khashoggi murder in exchange for not exposing his extramarital affair. Again, the National Enquirer was involved.
So, yes……I believe that Trump collects personal information to use against political opponents because he’s used personal information he’s collected against political opponents. The fact that he hasn’t released it isn’t exculpatory, it’s how blackmail works. Oh, and there was this story last week about the “kompromat collecting operation” he launched after the the Bezos thing took out his buddy David Pecker at the National Enquirer. This link is gifted,
> **[Erik Prince Helped Raise Money for Conservative Spy Venture (Published 2022)](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/us/politics/erik-prince-spy-operation-trump-democrats.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuomT1JKd6J17Vw1cRCfTTMQmqxCdw_PIxftm3iWka3DPDm4SiPkORJCH_0bRZKF4INYp3jfeXMVANrQiAedq36pYJ0F3QhWppZ3BhI4YJj1wpY-2WWgs1o7WG7Ak9DugJk-IFNBC_pzt9RSXLGr3RvSflC1weVp4o8dgIg2r2HQXwPuWEvpy3Nl_wa8nUZxlEWxQZyeJvqa-WRl4K8zGOk-HknQ-UuFcXj7Vnd6OuflXIEgJVwWwHD4o6n086dhcJNoXIK70ShYqc8f6irkWYXd6eMbrX9ZiAtiJyMg59OLFuheOy8Gpxv8pF60yvLLMt2myMFpHW6pAkw7CbjUNSCCqK5W7Ip64&smid=url-share)**
>
> New details reveal the ambitions of an operation intended to infiltrate opponents of Donald Trump, including moderate Republicans as well as progressives and Democrats.
And, if you think Trump and his illegal business activities were _under the radar_ before he ran for President, you obviously aren’t a New Yorker. Everyone knew he was a mobbed-up gangster. That’s why I’m pessimistic that he’ll face justice, he knows how to evade the law, he’s been doing it for decades.
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### Author:  [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/82 "2022-02-19T19:20:57Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#):
>
> And, if you think Trump and his illegal business activities were _under the radar_ before he ran for President, you obviously aren’t a New Yorker. Everyone knew he was a mobbed-up gangster. That’s why I’m pessimistic that he’ll face justice, he knows how to evade the law, he’s been doing it for decades.
As usual one of the best and most informed posts in the thread. Thank you for the free article, I intend to read it a few more times to to gain all the insights those smarter than I am get on the first pass.
Thank you for informing and refining my speculation. For me it was simple knowledge of Trump’s character, motives, and abilities-- but here you come with documented proof! Thank you for informing me and the rest of the board.
As for Trump flying under the radar and evading the law . . . . I am sure you are better informed in that matter too, but being idealistic (but not young), I have the sincerest desire to believe that in this case – in his presidential career, the stakes are so very high and have such important ramifications for the future that the powers that be will not just turn a blind eye this time. I am sure there will be stuff that is hard to prove but I hope with all of my being that at this time in this place-- someone (many someones) will make a huge and detailed effort that succeeds in holding Trump, his cronies, and his complicit adult children accountable for a large portion of the evil they have always done.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/83 "2022-02-20T01:39:21Z")
> [@Roger\_That](#):
>
> No, look at Richard “You won’t see Richard Nixon any more” Nixon after losing the California Governorship in 1962.
>
> Little Nemo has been proclaiming the end of Trump for years now, in quite a few threads, as I recall, and the only way to prove him as wrong as I believe he is is for Trump to die and no one to reclaim his voters with the same bullshit. Until that day, I will continue to think that re-packaging his voters is a simple matter and loads of GOPers are grooming themselves as Trump 2.0.
No, I’ve been saying Trump’s done since he lost the 2020 election.
Trump isn’t Nixon. Nixon was a crook but he was a smart crook with solid political skills.
Trump is a dumb crook. He’s not smart enough to re-package himself the way Nixon did in 1952 and 1968 and 1977.
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### Author:  [@Roger\_That](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_That)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/84 "2022-02-20T02:04:06Z")
We’re now in 2022. Check your calendar.
So it was smart of Nixon to declare himself finished with politics in 1962? Not very smart. Also bugging the Dems when he had the race well in hand? Also pretty dumb.
You don’t need to be a lot smarter than Trump to be “not dumb.” I have no idea what you’re trying to show here, but you haven’t begun to persuade me that you understand Trump’s standing with the GOP base, nor his identification with the racist segment of the party. Nixon was someone the racists voted for begrudgingly, Trump far more enthusiastically.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/85 "2022-02-20T05:24:18Z")
> [@Roger\_That](#):
>
> We’re now in 2022. Check your calendar.
Trump win a lot of elections since 2020, has he?
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### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/86 "2022-02-20T05:27:03Z")
Nixon admitted defeat and proclaimed himself to be done with politics ([You don’t have Nixon to kick around anymore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon%27s_November_1962_press_conference)). Trump has not done any such thing.
Nixon had no base of supporters left in the GOP. Trump is still the leader of the GOP according to the Chair of the RNC ([…the (former) president’s still the most popular Republican and still leads the party…](https://www.businessinsider.com/rnc-chair-ronna-mcdaniel-trump-leads-republican-party-2024-neutrality-2021-8)).
Trump is still an odds on favorite to be the GOP nominee in 2024. The base doesn’t want a repackaging of Trump. He was robbed as far as they are concerned. He is still their hero, not a loser.
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### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/87 "2022-02-20T08:44:45Z")
He’s just trying to exceed Henry Clay as the candidate for POTUS who’s lost the most elections.
Three more to go.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/88 "2022-02-20T17:42:18Z")
William Jennings Bryan also lost three times.
So did Ralph Nader.
Eugene V. Debs lost five times.
Norman Thomas lost six times.
Don’t say that the last three don’t count because they weren’t on major tickets. It’s not improbable that Trump will pull a Bull Moose if the Republicans don’t kowtow sufficiently.
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### Author:  [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/89 "2022-02-20T18:17:19Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> Don’t say that the last three don’t count because they weren’t on major tickets. It’s not improbable that Trump will pull a Bull Moose if the Republicans don’t kowtow sufficiently.
This has been my ardent wish since the 2020 election was called.
As much as I admired Teddy Roosevelt back when I was a registered Republican (and still don’t outright hate him), if a loud and blustering former GOP stalwart will further divide the Republican Party – well, that can only be good for the nation as a whole.
Trump splitting the right wing with a third party candidacy might be an ideal situation, and by my way of thinking the only positive result of him not being convicted and banned from holding office by that time.
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### Author:  [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/90 "2022-02-20T19:26:11Z")
> [@Temporary\_Name](#):
>
> I still believe he may have some damning evidence.
It’s not necessarily Trump himself who has the damning evidence. Recall that [the Russians hacked into DNC records and provided some juicy tidbits to WikiLeaks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_National_Committee_cyber_attacks), but don’t seem to have done any such thing to the RNC. Three possibilities come to mind, the relative plausibility of which is left as an exercise for the student:
1. The Republicans are just too gosh darn clever to let themselves get hacked.
2. The Republicans are just too gosh darn virtuous to have any embarrassing secrets.
3. The Republicans are towing the line to avoid having their dirty secrets exposed by the Russians.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/91 "2022-02-20T20:07:16Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#):
>
> The Republicans are just too gosh darn virtuous to have any embarrassing secrets.
Or, the Republicans these days are just too gosh darn openly corrupt to have any embarrassing secrets.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/92 "2022-02-20T20:10:36Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#):
>
> Three possibilities come to mind, the relative plausibility of which is left as an exercise for the student:
>
> 1. The Republicans are just too gosh darn clever to let themselves get hacked.
> 2. The Republicans are just too gosh darn virtuous to have any embarrassing secrets.
> 3. The Republicans are towing the line to avoid having their dirty secrets exposed by the Russians.
1. The Russians weren’t just randomly attacking American political parties. They wanted the Republicans to win and chose their strategy to help that goal.
This doesn’t mean Trump or any other Republicans are working for the Russians. It could mean the Russian government thinks Russian interests are better served when Republicans have power in the United States than when Democrats do.
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### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/93 "2022-02-20T21:16:24Z")
Jesus died, Paul stepped in and made it a larger religion than it had been before. Joseph Smith died, Brigham Young stepped in and made it a bigger religion. L. Ron Hubbard died, David Miscavige stepped in and made it a bigger religion.
How things go forward is anyone’s guess but Trump isn’t irreplaceable. Just as plausibly, he’s the primary impediment to a larger movement. But also just as plausibly, he’ll spend the next years of his life so grievously destroying his own image that there’s nothing to save. As President, he had Senate approved officials doing most of the work and generating a sufficient sense of competency. He’s now lost that.
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### Author:  [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/94 "2022-02-20T21:16:36Z")
**Trump** will replace **Trump** - no need for a successor. Trump will sustain himself because:
Trump avoids the burden of an agenda - Trump has no past, present or future that can be criticized. Trump has never done anything
Trump is not _for_ anything - he cannot be attacked on policy
All of Trump’s constituents have negative agendas. To meet their needs Trump is against everything and everybody except them.
Trump is optimally efficient. He just makes it up to fit the moment. Quick response, no overhead and impossible to counter.
Trump cannot be copied. He’s had a lifetime of practice. Anybody else just looks like a clueless clown.
I believe the result will be a Trump primary victory in 2024, but a Presidential loss against Biden. Against Harris he might win.
The Trump era will end with Trump. I suspect it will be replaced by a new party under Mitt Romney and/or Liz Cheney.
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### Author:  [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/95 "2022-02-20T21:20:41Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#):
>
> How things go forward is anyone’s guess
Agreed
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### Author:  [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/96 "2022-02-20T21:52:25Z")
> [@Crane](#):
>
> I suspect it will be replaced by a new party under Mitt Romney and/or Liz Cheney.
I don’t think that the MAGAtroid mobs who have tasted red meat will go back to settling for the pink slime served up by traditional Republicans.
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### Author:  [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2022, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/97 "2022-02-23T10:45:00Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#):
>
> As an _ingredients list_ , Trump could be replaced by 93 kg of water, 12 kg of carbon, 4 kg of silicon, 1 large lithium battery, four gallons of orange paint, a hot air generator, an Atari 400, an empty suit, one long tie, a scowl, one cauldron of elixir, one rag, one hundred bones and one large hank of hair.
Reduce the weight of the ingredients and you can say the same thing about Joe Biden.
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### Author:  [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/98 "2022-03-11T17:19:03Z")
> [@Temporary\_Name](#):
>
> I am going to derail this discussion for ONE POST ONLY!!
Glad you did. What a great theory! In a fun-to-chew-over kind of way. If true, I hope someone who knows breaks the news (Mrs. Clinton, you said you wanted to go on the talk show circuit? Wellll…).
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### Author:  [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2022, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/99 "2022-03-11T23:29:17Z")
Well, Biden doesn’t have his own Pokemon, does he?
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2022, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-irreplaceable-is-trump/959677/100 "2022-03-12T08:22:57Z")
Trump might say…
[ ](https://i0.wp.com/pkmncards.com/wp-content/uploads/en_US-HF-050-snorlax.jpg)
(Because of his weak “Sleepy Joe” nickname.)
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