# If Trump loses, will he give a concession speech **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 25, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830 "2016-07-25T03:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/41 "2016-08-02T10:44:03Z")
He will probably announce that he is calling up his detectives – the ones who are in Hawaii digging up [absolutely unbelievable](http://therightscoop.com/trump-my-people-in-hawaii-cant-believe-what-they-are-finding/) stuff about Obama – and tell them they need to come home to investigate the election. They will probably suggest that the investigation begin in Hawaii. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/42 "2016-08-02T11:28:33Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I’m not sure either candidate will give a traditional concession speech. The language from the Democratic Party has been just too apocalyptic to just say, “The people have spoken, we are going to approach the Trump administration with a spirit of cooperation” yada yada. We’ll probably get more of a “the people have spoken. The bastards.” type speech from Clinton. Or if not her, Obama reprising his “bitter clingers” in his farewell address. > > As for Trump, I think he might have a tantrum on national TV over it. Depends on how bad his loss is. If it’s a huge landslide he’ll probably just go home without saying anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if – instead of a fiery and hateful speech, or a quiet walk away from the spotlight – he _cheerily_ declares victory, going into the ‘gracious winner’ act he broke out during the primaries. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/43 "2016-08-02T11:44:27Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I wouldn’t be surprised if – instead of a fiery and hateful speech, or a quiet walk away from the spotlight – he _cheerily_ declares victory, going into the ‘gracious winner’ act he broke out during the primaries. “Look, a lot of people are saying I won the election, OK? A lot of people are saying I won. Hillary wrote me a letter saying ‘Mr. Trump, you really should be president right now’. She wanted me to be vice president. The ratings would’ve been huge if I’d been there. I had to say no - I’m really sorry to say - I’m way too busy right now, I’ve got so many great deals to make. I’m gonna be making such great deals your heads would spin, you wouldn’t know what is going on. But anyway, about Hillary - I was the greatest candidate in this election. I made more money than anyone ever has, I got so many endorsements, I beat Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush and all those other losers, I beat the unfair media - did you see the way CNN was talking about me? It was a disaster. Very sad. They’ll be out of business in two or three years.” ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/44 "2016-08-02T12:51:33Z")
The whole ‘rigged’ thing to me smacks more of laying the groundwork for explaining a loss than anything else. I think he’s worried about the poll numbers. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/45 "2016-08-02T15:46:47Z")
I can easily imagine him saying “we will file lawsuits! I have top lawyers on it! The very best lawyers!” and then just walking away and doing nothing… that way he never has to admit that it happened, but what’s the point in ACTUALLY filing a lawsuit, which (a) is expensive, and (b) he’ll surely lose anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/46 "2016-08-02T15:52:13Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > The whole ‘rigged’ thing to me smacks more of laying the groundwork for explaining a loss than anything else. I think he’s worried about the poll numbers. He was pulling that “rigged” crap during the primaries even when he was ahead. Even after he had the delegates sewed up, he was still going on about how the system was rigged. Nothing can hold me back!!! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/47 "2016-08-02T16:13:56Z")
[Donald Trump/Marion Barry]“The bitch set me up!”[/Donald Trump/Marion Barry] ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/48 "2016-08-02T17:04:37Z")
If it’s an electoral vote landslide, he’ll probably concede on election night, or the next day. If, on the other hand, it is close and the Republicans control both houses of the new Congress, he might be able to pull off a stunt where one of the “blue states” submits two sets of electoral votes, one for Clinton and one for Trump, and the Congress votes to accept the Trump votes. Then again, I can see an entirely different result from that; the resulting revolution might put Bernie Sanders in power. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/49 "2016-08-02T17:39:34Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > a stunt where one of the “blue states” submits two sets of electoral votes, one for Clinton and one for Trump, and the Congress votes to accept the Trump votes. Tilden/Hayes II, [del]Party[/del] Fight Like It’s 1876. :eek: Actually, serious question: why a blue state in your scenario? 😕 Wouldn’t a red state be more likely to throw the election to a Red/GOP Congress? ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/50 "2016-08-02T18:27:29Z")
The concession speech has got to be the easiest to write, but hardest to deliver. You concede, you congratulate the other person, and then you thank everyone who worked on your campaign individually, by name. You should mention that you worked hard, but they worked harder and also that you couldn’t have asked for a better staff. All canned stuff maybe, but you owe them that. Can you see the possibility, even for one second, of Trump hitting any of those marks? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/51 "2016-08-02T18:30:57Z")
> [@pmwgreen](#): > > The concession speech has got to be the easiest to write, but hardest to deliver. You concede, you congratulate the other person, and then you thank everyone who worked on your campaign individually, by name. You should mention that you worked hard, but they worked harder and also that you couldn’t have asked for a better staff. All canned stuff maybe, but you owe them that. > > Can you see the possibility, even for one second, of Trump hitting any of those marks? Just trying to imagine it makes my head hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/52 "2016-08-03T00:50:42Z")
He’s not going to file any lawsuits. Back during Bush vs. Gore, the Republican and Democratic parties hired the lawyers and paid the legal bills. The RNC is not going to fund this fight. And he’s not the kind of guy to pay his own bills. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/53 "2016-08-03T01:15:59Z")
Never happen. He’ll throw his own kids under a bus and sell Melanie into white slavery before admitting he was in so far over his head he’d need a radio telescope to see above the water. The man is narcissistic to the point of solipsism. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/54 "2016-08-03T01:31:54Z")
> [@pmwgreen](#): > > you thank everyone who worked on your campaign individually, by name. That actually might not take very long. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/55 "2016-08-03T05:20:00Z")
> [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](#): > > He’s not going to file any lawsuits. Back during Bush vs. Gore, the Republican and Democratic parties hired the lawyers and paid the legal bills. The RNC is not going to fund this fight. And he’s not the kind of guy to pay his own bills. Are you kidding? He’ll file suit at the drop of a hat, as he has already proven. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/56 "2016-08-06T17:39:28Z")
He can afford to file lawsuits, even if he rarely wins any. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/57 "2016-08-06T19:53:25Z")
It is becoming utterly clear that he won’t. He is already saying the election will be rigged and has come close to calling for riots or a revolution if he loses. Plus preparing court challenges. All this is inconsistent with a concession speech. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/58 "2016-11-08T13:01:00Z")
I made this thread on 7-25-16, lets see how accurate it is. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/59 "2016-11-08T13:06:38Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I made this thread on 7-25-16, lets see how accurate it is. And if the Thread proves to be inaccurate? Well? Will you concede? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830/60 "2016-11-08T13:26:03Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > 2000 wasn’t “rigged”. There were irregularities in Florida that probably cost Gore the election, but they were the result of ineptitude rather than corruption. > > Nor was 2004 - the claims about Diebold were cockamamie conspiracy theories. And it was just a _coincidence_ that Bush’s brother was Governor of Florida. A change to link to some prime [Hunter S Thompson prose](http://proxy.espn.com/espn/page2/story?id=906189): > [@](#): > > This eerie Presidential election has been a painful experience for Gamblers. Almost everybody Lost. Even if you were crazy or dumb enough to bet on a dead-even Tie, you Lost, because it was 537 votes short of it. The many Losers don’t feel the pain yet, because they are still in Shock & Denial. There are rumors in Washington that Gore’s most trusted advisors have sealed him off so completely that he still firmly believes he Won. … Which is True, on some scorecards, but so what? Those cards don’t count. … George W. Bush is our President now, and you better start getting used to it. He didn’t actually steal the White House from Al Gore, he just brutally wrestled it away from him in the darkness of one swampy Florida night. He got mugged, and the local Cops don’t give a damn. Still, after a Supreme Court decision that stank to the high heaven, Gore conceded. And _nobody_ in his campaign had claimed the election was “rigged” before the first vote was cast. (Many of us gloated at JEB’s fiasco of a campaign for the nomination.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-trump-loses-will-he-give-a-concession-speech/760830.md?page=4)