# Trump Might Have Called for the Termination of the Constitution **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [December 3, 2022, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990 "2022-12-03T23:31:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/161 "2022-12-06T01:26:55Z")
Yeah I misread his twuth. I first read it as the options being leave the illegitimate Biden in power or hold new elections, with the question being rhetorical, but re-reading I see that the options were reinstate Trump immediately or hold new elections, with his obviously preferring the first but maybe willing to accept the second. ETA: or as you said it is a rhetorical question but with the immediate reinstatement being the obvious choice over the seriously flawed (but by the rules?) idea of holding a new election. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/162 "2022-12-06T01:33:18Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > What I’m advocating is holding the man’s feet to the fire. I don’t really see the point in that. I think the goal should be to hold _Republican elected officials’_ feet to the fire. IMHO, the Dems should be doing a full-court press - against the GOP generally. They should be saying: 1. There is no daylight between the United States of America and its Constitution. You can’t be for one and against the other. 2. Those who are willing to tolerate leaders who advocate for terminating or suspending the Constitution are un-American. They don’t belong in government at any level. 3. They are traitors, not patriots. Seriously, this should be the Dems’ moment to step up and say, “we’re the real patriots - they are against everything this country stands for.” Whose side are you on? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/163 "2022-12-06T01:36:52Z")
I don’t think that anyone here is arguing that Trump has any love for the constitution or wouldn’t gladly use it as toilet paper if it helped his interests. I think the only question was whether he intended to be so blatant about his disregard for it, or if it was a Fraudian slip or dog whistle gone wrong. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/164 "2022-12-06T01:49:13Z")
Who cares? The main thing is that, _whatever he says_, the GOP won’t oppose it because he owns their base. But they still need a fair number of normies to win elections. So the thing here is for well-known Dems to call them unpatriotic, un-American, traitors for their failing to anathematize him over his willingness to flush the Constitution down his golden toilet. Make them defend their unwillingness to call him out. Don’t let them get away with being mealymouthed or ducking the issue entirely. Don’t let it die away. _Use this moment._ Now, not next week. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/165 "2022-12-06T02:04:34Z")
He’s already trying to ‘fix it’ > The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to “terminate” the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES, just like RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, and all of their other HOAXES & SCAMS. What I said was that when there is “MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION,” as has been irrefutably proven in the 2020 Presidential Election, steps must be immediately taken to RIGHT THE WRONG. Only FOOLS would disagree with that and accept STOLEN ELECTIONS. MAGA!([Truth Social](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/109462304115605769)) I am surprised he’s left the original ‘truth’ unchanged - he even retruthed it. > So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great “Founders” did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!([Truth Social](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/109449803240069864)) ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/166 "2022-12-06T02:07:59Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I think the only question was whether he intended to be so blatant about his disregard for it, or if it was a Fraudian slip or dog whistle gone wrong. How many years of watching him bust normal political speech codes would it take before his opponents (and many of his supporters) realize it is deliberate? The only real evidence I have that Trump is brilliant at demagogery is that he once won the presidency in a hostile takeover of a major poliical party. I think that’s strong evidence he knows what he is doing, but, obviously, YMMV. Trump’s only chance, for 2024, is to be outrageious.A new Trump would be a weakling. Nasty populism once worked to beat (in the electoral college only) a mainstream Democrat, and could again. Busting sacred cows is no guarantee of success, but if TFG shows he’s scared to do it, he won’t even get the nomination. The anti-consititution riff is a good example of what DJT can get away with and DeSantis can not. Another example, of playing a demogogic victim card, would be running under indictment – not for a typical rich man’s crime, but for disloyalty. That’s why I also look on the anti-constitution riff as a dare aimed at the Justice Department. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/167 "2022-12-06T02:15:53Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Fraudian slip … perfection, 10/10, no notes… ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/168 "2022-12-06T02:18:10Z")
Thanks actually it started out as a typo but I liked it better so kept it. ---
**Author:** ![Manlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Manlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manlob)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/169 "2022-12-06T02:21:38Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I know that is how they are trying to spin it, but it doesn’t really fit the context of his post. The full quote is > … Seeing the whole quote does change my interpretation. Looks like he was saying the current laws do not have provisions for massive fraud, and that changes should be made now to do something about the 2020 election. That is not a good look, but is a long way from saying his 2024 campaign strategy will be to run on cancelling everything in the Constitution (even though he did say “all rules” in the quote). Give him a chance to clarify what he really meant like we do when Biden makes a misstatement. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/170 "2022-12-06T02:24:46Z")
> [@Manlob](#): > > Give him a chance to clarify what he really meant like we do when Biden makes a misstatement. He clarified this statement on January 6th, 2021. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/171 "2022-12-06T02:25:08Z")
> [@Manlob](#): > > Looks like he was saying… Remember when you could just look at a man’s words to know what he was saying? Without all of the bullshit interpretation, decoding and guessing? Oh, the good old days. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/172 "2022-12-06T02:39:18Z")
> [@Manlob](#): > > Give him a chance to clarify what he really meant like we do when Biden makes a misstatement. The non-populist equivalent, of Trump’s deliberate, many times over, violations of political norms, may be found in Biden’s Taiwan policy. [Four times, Joe Biden has pledged to come to Taiwan’s defense with military force.](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/19/biden-leaves-no-doubt-strategic-ambiguity-toward-taiwan-is-dead-00057658) And the administration walked it back all four times: > [@](#): > > “I think we can all be pretty certain at this point that it was not a gaffe — four times in a row … [means] what’s happening is there are people in the administration who think that by demonstrating a greater willingness to defend Taiwan, that’ll help reestablish deterrence,” said Oriana Skylar Mastro, center fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Americans are sanctimonious about the Constitution. To preserve his populist credibility, Trump needs to differentiate himself from such pieties, which is why his DeSactimonious may turn out to be his most successful slur yet. As for walking back far-out statements, that’s a necessary part of the act, since, after all, a lot of voters – especially GOP voters – despite smiling at DJT’s own-the-libs moments – do value the Constitution. Trump goes into own-the-libs mode too often for it to be any more of a misstatement than Biden on Taiwan. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/173 "2022-12-06T02:53:10Z")
I very much appreciate the tactic, in a thread about this thing that Trump said, to say “what about this other thing that someone else said?” Says a lot, really. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/174 "2022-12-06T02:59:33Z")
What he said is what he said: He wants to throw out the legitimate election, even if it means throwing out the Constitution in the process. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/175 "2022-12-06T03:03:32Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So the thing here is for well-known Dems to call them unpatriotic, un-American, traitors for their failing to anathematize him over his willingness to flush the Constitution down his golden toilet. Make them defend their unwillingness to call him out. Don’t let them get away with being mealymouthed or ducking the issue entirely. Don’t let it die away. _Use this moment._ Now, not next week. But here’s the thing - Democrats did this non-stop, and it made not a lick of difference. Every time Trump violated the norms, or said things that were blatantly horrible, the Democrats tried to hold him accountable. _And his base ate it up_. They LOVE the righteous anger, they loved that he was racist, sexist, treated veterans horribly. Because it was what they WANT to be able to do. Trust me, I’d love to see the leopards turn and eat Trump’s face, and I pray it will happen, but calling out Trump on his many, many shitstorms is feeding the troll. I don’t say ignore it, I say make sure every single Democrat, Neutral, or even rational Republican remembers it and gets out and votes against Trump, but most of his base is so far gone that there is no hope of them ever trying to “own up to it.” See @Buck_Godot 's selfless effort to review how the latest 'issue = nothing for the base. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2022, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/176 "2022-12-06T04:57:53Z")
Yep. What we have here is: 1. What Trump _really_ meant was… 2. But but but Biden did… Complete bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/177 "2022-12-06T14:05:31Z")
Excellent summary. If I may expand it a bit … > [@](#): > > Yep. What we have here is: > > 1. What Trump _really_ meant was… > Something vandal-tastically awful, but I approve of it > > 2. But but but Biden did… > Something unrelated and probably fictional and I don’t approve of it. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/178 "2022-12-06T15:29:21Z")
Senator Roger Marshall, Trump toady from Kansas, hasn’t done a ‘deep dive’ into Trump’s comments. And then he does a quick deflection in an attempt to change the subject. And then he leaves. > ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/179 "2022-12-06T15:39:19Z")
I’m sure he’d have the same thing to say had Ilhan Omar made Trump’s suggestion. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990/180 "2022-12-06T15:50:49Z")
It’s truly a shame when 80 words … 476 characters … represents the monumental literary challenge of “a deep dive.” Shocked, but not surprised. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-might-have-called-for-the-termination-of-the-constitution/975990.md?page=10)