# Where would Trump go if he accepted electoral defeat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 4, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767 "2026-05-04T00:07:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/21 "2026-05-04T01:04:27Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Defeat how? You mean his candidates lose? He cant run again. Not legally; but he’s never cared about that. That said, assuming he is successfully forced out of office I expect he’ll stay right here in the US where his fans are. Even if he locked himself up somewhere to sulk for a while, I don’t think he could stand to be out of the limelight for long and he’d be driven to seek it out. We saw that behavior during the COVID lockdowns as I recall, he can’t _stand_ to not be in the spotlight for long. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/22 "2026-05-04T01:11:59Z")
Seriously, Trump would not flee the country because there is no country he could be safe in. If an electoral democracy, the leader welcoming Trump could be voted out. And dictatorships are not stable. Also, Trump has to worry about the U.S. pressuring the host country government to throw him out. It is not in Saudi Arabia’s interest to piss off the new U.S. president. Also, he would be socially isolated. Another factor is that he would be afraid of substandard medical care. Running out the clock, on any attempt to prosecute him, is his least bad option. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/23 "2026-05-04T01:15:40Z")
Trump’s entire life experience is that he’s immune to the law and consequences (by all the evidence correctly so); I really don’t see him ever becoming worried enough to flee the country. He’ll stay here where his fans and property are. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/24 "2026-05-04T02:17:39Z")
I also think Argentina. He’s done a lot of favors for them, like _many_ Nazis before him. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2026, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/25 "2026-05-04T02:28:46Z")
I don’t believe that a former president would be allowed to effectively defect to Russia. I think that attempting to do so would greatly reduce his life expectancy. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/26 "2026-05-04T02:39:31Z")
Trump’s not “fleeing” anywhere except to Florida. He’s never going to see the inside of a jail cell anyway, so why would he need to? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/27 "2026-05-04T02:43:56Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > He’d go and do Conservative talk radio and do speeches. Golf. I kind of expect that’s the end-game, actually. He’s out come 2028, and he gets to bloviate to his heart’s content about how he was so often, how the Democrats blocked him, and so forth. Stays in the spotlight until a short while after he dies. I also kind of suspect that a lot of what the Project 2025 people are trying to do is set things up for their next candidate, whoever that may be. They’re largely trying to build structural hindrances for non-Republican candidates and set things up such that Presidents are more unitary than before. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2026, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/28 "2026-05-04T04:18:40Z")
I greatly suspect that ANY international travel of a former US president, especially one that _disputed_ an election and finally conceded would be allowed to travel internationally. And even if so would be watched like a hawk. But as I repeatedly said, I’m explicitly not fighting the hypothetical in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/29 "2026-05-04T12:13:41Z")
He will grant himself a pardon on the way out and then spend his declining years watching the issue hashed out through the court system until the Supremes ultimately rule in his favor. We’ll never get this guy because there is no God. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/30 "2026-05-04T12:22:24Z")
trump has already told us what he’ll do after he’s finished with the great work of making America great again. He’s not a man to rest on his laurels; he’ll go make Venezuela great again. They love him over there! > “The people of Venezuela, they say, if I ran for president of Venezuela, I’m polling higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela, so after I’m finished with this, I can go to Venezuela,” Trump said. “I will quickly learn Spanish. It won’t take too long. I’m good at language and I will go to Venezuela. I’m going to run for president.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/31 "2026-05-04T12:43:07Z")
> Where would Trump go if he accepted electoral defeat? Hell. And he should dress warmly, for it will be a cold day there, before he acts graciously. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/32 "2026-05-04T14:17:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump’s not “fleeing” anywhere except to Florida. He’s never going to see the inside of a jail cell anyway True. Nobody will even place him in a holding cell, just to deny him the persecution propaganda value. He’ll head to MAL to make proclamations and every couple months drive up to The Villages for a grievance rally, and make life miserable for the Palm Beach community and users of the airport by constantly requiring holds and closings. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/33 "2026-05-04T14:21:15Z")
Russia I’m sure would have him (they probably have a dacha and the order of Lenin lined up). I’m sure having a former POTUS would be a great prestige item for the middle eastern oil dictatorships (UEA, Etc) , to go along with sporting events, etc. Though of course they are all very dependent on the US for defense so would be happy to send him back if it would jeopardize that. Though TBH (i know this is not point of OP) he’s definitely pardoning himself and might even resign a couple of days early to be pardoned by president (for like a week) Vance. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/34 "2026-05-04T14:37:33Z")
He didn’t do Argentina any favors, he did favors for Javier Milei to the detriment of the country. He will not come here anyway, Diego be thanked, because he knows that Milei’s rule will not last forever… (or at least I hope so, the alternative being too horrible to contemplate) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/35 "2026-05-04T14:46:31Z")
I see him staying in MAL and selling his political influence to ambitious MAGA politicians. I can see him trying to run congress like he was a mob boss. A neo-Boss Tweed, as it were. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/36 "2026-05-04T15:55:37Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > If a Democrat is elected, and Trump has the health to travel, I think he’ll flee to Saudi Arabia. IIRC that’s where Idi Amin went. The Saudis will gladly let him live out his years in comfort, without extradition, as a signal to future leaders that they will be taken care of if they help the Saudi rulers. Right now the Saudis are rather pissed at Trump for having not given them any advance warning, let alone consultation, on starting his war with Iran. They might feel differently in 2029, but who knows? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/37 "2026-05-04T16:00:15Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > He will not come here anyway, Diego be thanked, because he knows that Milei’s rule will not last forever… Yeah same for any of the other trumpesque democratic leaders he’s been boosting. He’s not going to trust them to stay in power indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/38 "2026-05-04T19:20:04Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > He will grant himself a pardon on the way out It is doubtful if someone can pardon themselves. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/39 "2026-05-04T19:59:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > > > will grant himself a pardon on the way out > > It is doubtful if someone can pardon themselves. All he needs is for the case about whether he could or not to freeze out any legal action against him while it’s heard and appealed and for that to take longer to reach a final Court decision than he has left to live. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2026, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767/40 "2026-05-04T21:02:25Z")
Legal or not, Republicans for the most part will honor it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-trump-go-if-he-accepted-electoral-defeat/1029767.md?page=3)