# Will Trump be the 2020 Republican candidate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 20, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900 "2019-02-20T16:09:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [February 21, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/21 "2019-02-21T13:53:46Z")
We’re already past it being just “a few fall guys”. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/22 "2019-02-21T15:41:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > We’re already past it being just “a few fall guys”. No, we are not. Anybody that isn’t Trump is a “fall guy”…including his own family. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/23 "2019-02-21T16:57:46Z")
Trump will be the GOP candidate until/unless the GOP decides that Trump will certainly lose the general election and someone else has a better chance of winning. Unless something explosive comes out of the Mueller report (which I doubt) then Trump will have the best chance of winning among current Republican candidates. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/24 "2019-02-21T16:58:55Z")
Not even that. If he’s still the President (not at all a safe assumption), then he’ll be the nominee. They have no better idea. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/25 "2019-02-21T17:14:46Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > They have no better idea. There are many, many better candidates than Trump - Nikki Haley seems to be pre-eminent - but no one will stand against him. If there’s even a sniff of impeachment Trump will be persuaded to resign for ‘medical reasons’ and PEnce will take over. Pence / Haley would be a powerful combination next year - Haley / Pence even more so. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/26 "2019-02-21T17:18:33Z")
Trump will dismiss anyone who tries to persuade him to resign, as long as he thinks there are any more deals to be made. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/27 "2019-02-21T17:19:05Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Historically, I’m wondering if there was ever a case of a President who served two terms and wanted to run for a third (before that became impossible in the 1950s), but was “discouraged” from doing so by his party’s leaders? I’m pretty sure there is no case of a President before FDR openly campaigning for a third term (except Teddy Roosevelt, kind of). Truman, arguably. He served more than half of the 1944-48 term after FDR died, was elected outright in 1948, and he was taken out in the primaries of 1952 with his popularity at a low point, mostly because of Korea and MacArthur. The term limit rules didn’t apply to him because he was president when they were ratified. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/28 "2019-02-21T18:41:03Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Trump will be the GOP candidate until/unless the GOP decides that Trump will certainly lose the general election and someone else has a better chance of winning. Unless something explosive comes out of the Mueller report (which I doubt) then Trump will have the best chance of winning among current Republican candidates. This. It’s about getting elected. The worth of a candidate, policies that improve people’s lives, principle, honesty, integrity-- all crap. GETTING ELECTED. That’s what matters. If that means running the CFSG, the so be it. And if includes suppressing votes, tampering with ballots, redrawing voting districts, failing to count absentee ballots that are likely to be Democratic, fixing it so legitimately registered (Democratic) voters can’t vote-- all of these things have been done and will continue to be done. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/29 "2019-02-21T19:11:47Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > To the OP: Yes, unless he dies or leaves office. > > Historically, I’m wondering if there was ever a case of a President who served two terms and wanted to run for a third (before that became impossible in the 1950s), but was “discouraged” from doing so by his party’s leaders? I’m pretty sure there is no case of a President before FDR openly campaigning for a third term (except Teddy Roosevelt, kind of). Ulysses S. Grant was a candidate for the [1880 Republican nomination](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1880_Republican_National_Convention), which would have given him a (nonconsecutive) third term if he had won the nomination and the election. As for the “discouraged by party leaders” part, some of them favored him and some of them didn’t (partly because of the no-third-term tradition, partly because they simply preferred Blaine or Sherman\*) with not enough of the former to prevail. \*James Garfield eventually got the nomination as a dark-horse compromise candidate chosen to break the deadlock between the main contenders. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/30 "2019-02-22T15:30:00Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > Of course he will. Trump is the GOP and the GOP is Trump. There has been absolutely nothing in the last 2+ years to indicate that NOW FINALLY the GOP will try to distance themselves. I’m going with this one, and have been continuously stunned since the 2016 election. I for the life of me cannot understand how the GOP has just plain fallen to their knees at Trumps feet and seem to worship him. Lindsey Graham is the absolute best example of this. I swear, he stops by the White House every morning to lick Trump’s boots clean. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/31 "2019-02-22T16:04:51Z")
I think it depends on the economy, and also, the timing. But Trump already has by some estimates a record pre-convention campaign donation haul. I don’t think any candidate contemplating a primary challenge would contest him expecting to win; it would be strictly a matter of principle. Keep your eye on Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/32 "2019-02-22T16:31:10Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > There are many, many better candidates than Trump - Nikki Haley seems to be pre-eminent - but no one will stand against him. If there’s even a sniff of impeachment Trump will be persuaded to resign for ‘medical reasons’ and PEnce will take over. Pence / Haley would be a powerful combination next year - Haley / Pence even more so. Yeah, no. Nothing and no one could convince Trump to resign. The whole “Even if Trump gets elected, he’ll decide it’s too hard, then resign” claims 2 years ago were laughable. In his mind, he’s never failed at anything, and resigning would be the most public and blatant admission of failure possible. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/33 "2019-02-22T17:58:43Z")
The only way Trump doesn’t run is if he understands that he stands a high chance of defeat (better to leave on his own terms than to suffer an actual loss,) or he is too fatigued to go on (he’s no spring chicken and the presidency is a grueling job.) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/34 "2019-02-22T19:21:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Ask again after Robert Mueller finishes up his work. He still might run, but in a different sense of the word… ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/35 "2019-02-22T21:15:23Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > He still might run, but in a different sense of the word… \ Good one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/36 "2019-02-22T21:28:21Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Yeah, no. Nothing and no one could convince Trump to resign. The whole “Even if Trump gets elected, he’ll decide it’s too hard, then resign” claims 2 years ago were laughable. In his mind, he’s never failed at anything, and resigning would be the most public and blatant admission of failure possible. That, and the longer he remains President, the longer he can (probably) stay out of prison. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/37 "2019-02-25T16:05:16Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > The only way Trump doesn’t run is if he understands that he stands a high chance of defeat (better to leave on his own terms than to suffer an actual loss,) or he is too fatigued to go on (he’s no spring chicken and\*\* the presidency is a grueling job.)\*\* You’re assuming he puts any effort into actually carrying out his duties. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900/38 "2019-02-25T20:53:43Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > I’ma gonna swim against this tide. > > No, I don’t think Trump will be the nominee. I believe the Mueller report will be so damaging, Congress will remove him and he will end his days either in prison or in exile in Saudi Arabia, if he can manage to squirt out of the country before they take Air Force One away from him. > > I personally think Senate Republicans are at this point waiting for the report to give them the cover they need to do what must be done. Don’t need 'em all. Just 22. I hope you’re correct. I also think that should Trump survive to stand for election in 2020, he will be trounced by a historic margin. He caught lightning in a bottle once. It won’t happen again, and he and his family and cronies have too much baggage for him to get elected again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-be-the-2020-republican-candidate/829900.md?page=1)