# Prediction: Trump won't contest a definitive election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 2, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567 "2020-11-02T17:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/1 "2020-11-02T17:36:53Z")
Trump is your typical blustering bully: he’s really a coward underneath who will back down when he personally confronts resistance. If the election results are definitive he’ll whine and complain about how unfair everything is but he personally won’t try to do anything about it. Some Republican groups might (like trying to invalidate the 110k+ votes in Houston) but Trump will slink away. That’s why he canceled his election night party. He’ll spend the rest of his life tweeting about fraud (but of course never finding any evidence of it). If the election is close it will likely be a different story. He can probably be egged into fighting by his advisors around him but only if he thinks he has a chance at winning. Caveat: pretty much every prediction I have made about Trump has been wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/2 "2020-11-02T17:52:57Z")
he is going to file lawsuits pretty much no matter what happens ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/3 "2020-11-02T18:12:07Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > That’s why he canceled his election night party. Is this the newest news? I read that he canceled his big blow-out bash at his Hotel and planned to hold it at the White House instead, to get around the 400-people COVID restriction there. (And, in so re-planning, also raised yet more questions about holding campaign-related events at the White House.) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/4 "2020-11-02T18:20:39Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > That’s why he canceled his election night party > [@Senegoid](#): > > Is this the newest news? I read that he canceled his big blow-out bash at his Hotel and planned to hold it at the White House instead, to get around the 400-people COVID restriction there. (And, in so re-planning, also raised yet more questions about holding campaign-related events at the White House.) I read (and it was likely just speculation) that it was cancelled because they realized that with all the counting they have to do, it probably won’t get called that night (and if he loses, he’s going to want some time to file lawsuits). As far as him not filing any lawsuits. I think it’s a pretty safe assumption that he’s going to. A quick google search shows that he’s been involved in 3500 lawsuits (plaintiff in almost 2000 of them). He’s no stranger to the court system. Honestly, even if he wins, he’ll probably file lawsuits in states he lost (or didn’t win by enough for his ego) in. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/5 "2020-11-02T18:22:52Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > he is going to file lawsuits pretty much no matter what happens Yeah, this. Suing everyone in sight whenever a “deal” didn’t go his way was pretty much how he ran his businesses. Sending your lawyers into court doesn’t really take much in the way of personal courage. The difference with a clear-cut Biden win is that the GOP establishment is more likely to realize they should cut their losses and abandon Trump. Without party support, I expect virtually every lawsuit to fail, and certainly enough will fail to allow the election result to stand. ---
**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 2, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/6 "2020-11-02T18:23:46Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Trump is your typical blustering bully: he’s really a coward underneath who will back down when he personally confronts resistance. If the election results are definitive he’ll whine and complain about how unfair everything is but he personally won’t try to do anything about it. Everything hangs on the meaning of “definitive” here. Really, it’s not up to Trump. It’s up to the states, to Republicans, to the courts, all the way to SCOTUS. It’s not definitive until they declare it. Prolonging the confusion works to their advantage (up to a point depending how it breaks). Trump and his enablers will keep cheerleading one another until all the court rulings are in. I’m told Biden’s legal team has mapped out every contingency, but we’ll probably end up stepping through all of them. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/7 "2020-11-02T21:03:32Z")
Lawsuits cost money and the Trump campaign has pretty much spent all of there’s. They are going to need help from other GOP war chests that might not be too easily accessed if the custodians think it’s a lost cause. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/8 "2020-11-02T21:12:26Z")
they can probably get some true believers to work for free. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/9 "2020-11-02T21:18:29Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Lawsuits cost money and the Trump campaign has pretty much spent all of there’s. They are going to need help from other GOP war chests that might not be too easily accessed if the custodians think it’s a lost cause. Not even a lost cause but maybe, even if they’d never admit it, they would prefer 4 years of Biden to 4 more years of Trump. I wonder if they’ll have better luck rebuilding their funds for the next election with Trump or Biden in office? I’m curious if any courts would block Trump from filing frivolous lawsuits. I don’t know all the ins and outs of that, or if it’s even possible in these types of cases, but my understanding is that a judge can tell the person filing to take a hike if they can’t prove that their case has merit and it’s not being filed in bad faith (like to get election results changed). ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/10 "2020-11-02T23:37:37Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > they can probably get some true believers to work for free. Like they say, you get what you pay for. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/11 "2020-11-02T23:52:14Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Trump is your typical blustering bully: he’s really a coward underneath who will back down when he personally confronts resistance. The “Cowardly Bully” myth? ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/12 "2020-11-03T01:01:56Z")
There’s a reason most bullies, especially those like Trump, go after the weakest person in the room. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/13 "2020-11-03T01:06:12Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Lawsuits cost money and the Trump campaign has pretty much spent all of there’s. Not a problem. Trump will either try to get Barr to file lawsuits from the Justice Dept, or he’ll simply not pay any lawyers if he does not get the results he wants. Either way, he’s not paying for squat. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/14 "2020-11-03T01:11:54Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > they can probably get some true believers to work for free Giuliani? We can only hope. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/15 "2020-11-03T01:26:25Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Giuliani? We can only hope. I would LOVE to see him in court arguing a case that ballots should be thrown away. The judge would probably order him taken into custody and put in a special facility for his own protection. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/16 "2020-11-03T04:21:47Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > > Lawsuits cost money and the Trump campaign has pretty much spent all of there’s. > > Not a problem. Trump will either try to get Barr to file lawsuits from the Justice Dept, or he’ll simply not pay any lawyers if he does not get the results he wants. > > Either way, he’s not paying for squat. Probably he’ll continue to exploit the suckers who have bee supporting him. He really is addicted to the brain-dead adulation they throw at him in the rallies, which is really what he wants most of all (after ripping people off), and they have been contributing to his campaign fund. Some kind of lawsuit will be necessary for him to save face with them if he loses, and they in turn will pay for it because I’m sure the campaign will be tapping them more than ever. It’s a codependent situation. He puts on a performance so they can make themselves believe; they in turn feed his ego and pay his bills. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/17 "2020-11-03T05:07:31Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > He really is addicted to the brain-dead adulation they throw at him in the rallies, which is really what he wants most of all… Ok, Don, mind if I call you Don? Well, too bad, Don. Now, we’ve got a deal for you. You give up on lawsuits, and step down by Thanksgiving, and we let you have a couple of rallies during December. Big rallies, with thousands of jes’ plain folks, who’ll join in on any chant you start. And y’know what, Don? We’ll buy you a big tour bus, and pitch in on gas. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/18 "2020-11-03T05:14:31Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > s this the newest news? I read that he canceled his big blow-out bash at his Hotel and planned to hold it at the White House instead, to get around the 400-people COVID restriction there. Has he abided by local rules, laws and ordinances regarding crowd numbers with his campaign rallies? (Serious question.) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/19 "2020-11-03T06:44:37Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Has he abided by local rules, laws and ordinances regarding crowd numbers with his campaign rallies? Mostly not, obviously, but the rules and/or enforcement policies might be different in DC, or perhaps because it’s in an indoor hotel rather than an airport hangar. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567/20 "2020-11-03T10:53:52Z")
As I understand it, he loses most lawsuits or settles them on poor terms, usually. And just pretends they never happened. I’m hoping that if he loses he follows this pattern. Just slinks away, makes some sour grapes comments about how unfair it all was, then tries to pretend it all never happened. I don’t know that’s what he will do but I think it’s possible. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-trump-wont-contest-a-definitive-election/924567.md?page=2)