# What If Trump Doesn't Leave? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 15, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172 "2018-06-15T20:11:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/21 "2018-06-15T21:56:26Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > They didn’t head _into_ California, they were already parked inside the abandoned Walmarts. Along with a million body bags and 10 million “Martial Law” signs. I mean “Ley Marcial” signs. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/22 "2018-06-15T21:57:45Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’ll take my chances that far fewer people will be in a fighting mood over things they can’t prove or even provide evidence of. What America are _you_ in? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/23 "2018-06-15T22:02:10Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Especially since he **can’t** call off elections. It isn’t his call. There are no federally-run elections - only a bunch of State/Territory/DC elections that all occur on the same day. trump can no longer postpone California’s elections than he can fly to the moon by flapping his arms. On top of that, the people in charge of accepting the results of elections for federal office are members of the Legislative Branch, not the Executive. So he can’t mess with it that way either. If we explore the hypothetical a little further, hard Trump states might cooperate and cancel elections, but blue and purple states probaby wouldn’t. The result would be an even more overwhelming landslide against Trump, because his base self excluded. Yeah, they don’t know how elections work. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/24 "2018-06-15T23:19:40Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > If such a scenario ever happened, it might provide a good reason to retain the 2nd Amendment. I agree, but not because I think it would help me protect myself against some tyrannical Trump dictatorship - rather, from the _insane_ levels of civil unrest that would result. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/25 "2018-06-15T23:25:48Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Will he do it? No. The end. Do what? Cancel the election, or voluntarily leave the White House? Should he be impeached, I personally think he’d commit suicide rather than leave on his own. I also seem to be the only person who thinks so, and no, I don’t want that to happen either. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/26 "2018-06-15T23:26:25Z")
Good grief, what a question. I neve thought I would see the SDMB reminding me of some of my relatives’ Facebook rantings, i.e., “Obama will not leave office he will become a dictator” “Obama gonna cancel the election” blah blah blah. I do worry a little about the way this country is going with regard to changing the guard. You never used to hear about people wanting to lock up the members of the outgoing regime or, for that matter, the opponents they lost to. What are we, some banana republic? Throwing the people you just defeated in jail (or worse) is one of the hallmarks of a shithole country. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/27 "2018-06-15T23:37:30Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Good grief, what a question. I neve thought I would see the SDMB reminding me of some of my relatives’ Facebook rantings, i.e., “Obama will not leave office he will become a dictator” “Obama gonna cancel the election” blah blah blah. > > I do worry a little about the way this country is going with regard to changing the guard. You never used to hear about people wanting to lock up the members of the outgoing regime or, for that matter, the opponents they lost to. What are we, some banana republic? Throwing the people you just defeated in jail (or worse) is one of the hallmarks of a shithole country. This would be more encouraging if Trump didn’t openly admire and express the desire to emulate dictators in charge of banana republics. That said, I don’t think for one second that he’d get anyone, even republicans, to back him in any attempt to cancel elections or squat in the white house past his ousting. So we might see some tweets from the twit on the subject, but nothing past that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/28 "2018-06-15T23:43:52Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Saw this question being asked on these boards about Clinton. > > Saw this question being asked on these boards about Bush Jr. > > Saw this question being asked on these boards about Obama. > > Guess we’re right on schedule. We’re ahead of schedule. People usually wait until a President’s second term to start speculating he’ll seize power and cancel elections. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/29 "2018-06-15T23:46:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > We’re ahead of schedule. People usually wait until a President’s second term to start speculating he’ll seize power and cancel elections. There’s no credible expectation that Trump would last into a second term via non-criminal means, so if we’re going to speculate that he _will_ attempt criminal means, we have to get in on it early! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/30 "2018-06-15T23:48:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Especially since he **can’t** call off elections. It isn’t his call. There are no federally-run elections - only a bunch of State/Territory/DC elections that all occur on the same day. trump can no longer postpone California’s elections than he can fly to the moon by flapping his arms. On top of that, the people in charge of accepting the results of elections for federal office are members of the Legislative Branch, not the Executive. So he can’t mess with it that way either. > > Really, people. Were you all asleep in American Government class in high school? I don’t think Trump would do this. But if he tried, this is a weak counter-argument. If a President is willing to throw out the Constitution and declare himself President-for-Life, do you really think he’s going to care about his action also being a violation of state laws? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/31 "2018-06-15T23:50:31Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > There’s no credible expectation that Trump would last into a second term via non-criminal means, so if we’re going to speculate that he _will_ attempt criminal means, we have to get in on it early! Credible expectations left the American political system in the 2016 election. I didn’t think it was possible that Trump would win the election the first time. I was wrong. So I won’t declare it’s impossible that he’ll get re-elected. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/32 "2018-06-16T00:00:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I don’t think Trump would do this. But if he tried, this is a weak counter-argument. If a President is willing to throw out the Constitution and declare himself President-for-Life, do you really think he’s going to care about his action also being a violation of state laws? Yes, and if my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle. There is a big difference between a naked power-grab for dictatorship and postponing elections. Yes, they have the same end goal, but too many politicians owe their positions to at least the semblance of popular support and the will of the people. The state elections would take place on time, the results would be known, and if the orange shit-gibbon refused to leave (or declared himself Generalissimo-For-Life) there would be military movements made to remove him, and they would be supported by the majority of Congress. Right now the Republicans are content to let him be him, because it plays to their ends. But few of them would be willing to see their _personal_ power stripped away by such a coup. That would upset too many apple carts. Too many capitalists would lose too much money. Russia doesn’t have enough money to piss off the .01%. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/33 "2018-06-16T00:03:58Z")
America has propped up both right-wing and left-wing (communist) dictatorships around the world for the past century, we just didn’t cozy up to them openly the way Trump appears to be doing…but we did give them money, support, negotiated with them, and generally did not shy away from dealing with them as legitimate entities. So I think people should perhaps not act as if this situation is really all that unique. The only thing unique now is that there’s MORE transparancy than before…not due to deliberate efforts by the government to provide the same, but by the advances in communication technology and porousness of classified information. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/34 "2018-06-16T00:21:10Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yes, and if my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle. There is a big difference between a naked power-grab for dictatorship and postponing elections. Yes, they have the same end goal, but too many politicians owe their positions to at least the semblance of popular support and the will of the people. The state elections would take place on time, the results would be known, and if the orange shit-gibbon refused to leave (or declared himself Generalissimo-For-Life) there would be military movements made to remove him, and they would be supported by the majority of Congress. Right now the Republicans are content to let him be him, because it plays to their ends. But few of them would be willing to see their _personal_ power stripped away by such a coup. That would upset too many apple carts. Too many capitalists would lose too much money. Russia doesn’t have enough money to piss off the .01%. That’s the key question. Trump declares electoins postponed. Why should the states listen to him? How many would listen to him? How would Trump make the states listen? Elections happen, Trump doesn’t like the results, he declares himself President for Life. Why should the rest of the government listen to him? How would Trump enforce his will? Or even if he’s more subtle, and declares the elections invalid because of massive fraud. Again, if the subsequent investigation turns up nothing, or if Trump wants the results nullified until it’s completed, why should the system listen to him? By what mechanism would Trump make them? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/35 "2018-06-16T00:24:41Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > We’re ahead of schedule. People usually wait until a President’s second term to start speculating he’ll seize power and cancel elections. In all fairness, how many previous presidents expressed an interest in being president for life? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/36 "2018-06-16T00:29:41Z")
I remember hearing the same about Reagan and Nixon, in addition to the other Presidents mentioned. Even read a novel about the latter case. > **[Amazon.com: Last President, The: 0889290852298: Michael Kurland, S W Barton,...](https://www.amazon.com/Last-President-Novel-Alternative-America/dp/1522694137)** > > Amazon.com: Last President, The: 0889290852298: Michael Kurland, S W Barton, Bryan Reid: Books But I don’t think he’s going to last that long, even barring impeachment. Having said that I think if far more likely that persons around him, knowing the importance that Americans attach to at least the forms of Democracy would engineer his replacement with a like “minded” individual. Probably someone without the saving grace of incompetence. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/37 "2018-06-16T00:38:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Especially since he **can’t** > > Really, people. Were you all asleep in American Government class in high school? To be fair, these weren’t the kind of contingencies we were discussing at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/38 "2018-06-16T01:03:36Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Saw this question being asked on these boards about Clinton. > > Saw this question being asked on these boards about Bush Jr. > > Saw this question being asked on these boards about Obama. > > Guess we’re right on schedule. [Saw this question being asked on these boards about Trump.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=851368) ---
**Author:** ![Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delicious)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/39 "2018-06-16T01:38:27Z")
As long as the bread & circuses aren’t cut off, people will grumble a bunch but mostly get on with their lives. Unless you’re under the impression that Americans are a special kind of people who eat despots and poop democracy & freedom ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172/40 "2018-06-16T02:04:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > -No, they don’t. It seems they did in a poll about a year ago: > [@](#): > > \*\*In a new poll, half of Republicans say they would support postponing the 2020 election if Trump proposed it \*\* > > Claims of large-scale voter fraud are not true, but that has not stopped a substantial number of Republicans from believing them. But how far would Republicans be willing to follow the president to stop what they perceive as rampant fraud? Our recent survey suggests that the answer is quite far: About half of Republicans say they would support postponing the 2020 presidential election until the country can fix this problem. > > SOURCE: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/08/10/in-a-new-poll-half-of-republicans-say-they-would-support-postponing-the-2020-election-if-trump-proposed-it/?noredirect=on&utm\_term=.ddf8e2b36e5d](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/08/10/in-a-new-poll-half-of-republicans-say-they-would-support-postponing-the-2020-election-if-trump-proposed-it/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ddf8e2b36e5d) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-trump-doesnt-leave/816172.md?page=3)