# Will Trump leave office peacefully and normally if he loses the election? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 8, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110 "2020-03-08T17:04:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/61 "2020-03-09T21:41:11Z")
I dunno, after you get past the dying, death is probably pretty peaceful… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/62 "2020-03-09T21:57:23Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Every president prior to Trump has left office peacefully, and Trump will be no exception. Lincoln, Kennedy, Garfield, and McKinley beg to differ. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/63 "2020-03-09T22:10:36Z")
> [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > Actually, since he’s no longer a citizen of New York, he imagines himself sitting in a suite at Mar-A-Lago in his underwear. > > But really, there’s no reason to take him out in handcuffs if he decides to stay in the White House. Just announce the day after the inauguration that a WH food service worker has COVID-19. All WH residents will be taken by special bus to a local military base for testing, quarantine and treatment as needed. > > If he leaves willingly, great. If he doesn’t just let him know that when he’s ready to leave, he should put a white flag in a specified window so that workers in hazmat suits can escort him out. > > President Sanders Biden will reside in temporary quarters. Before the announcement of the WH quarantine, all landline communications with the WH will be terminated. As soon as the announcement is made, cellphone jammers that surround the WH will be turned on. > > With supplies dwindling and all communication with the outside world stopped, I’d say that white flag will be adorning that window in 48 hours, max. Withhold the diet coke ---
**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:** [March 9, 2020, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/64 "2020-03-09T22:15:18Z")
Bush Sr. sent 28k troops to Somalia after he lost in 1992. They were not supposed to be in combat but they did get involved after Clinton took over. [https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bush-orders-u-s-troops-to-somalia](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bush-orders-u-s-troops-to-somalia) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/65 "2020-03-09T22:24:52Z")
I don’t think he really has what it takes to invalidate the election, but I shudder think of the crazy shit he’ll do and/or say as a lame duck. Just imagine the nightmare that Twitter will become. He’ll tweet non-stop. Literally, he will spend all day every day tweeting and retweeting memes and conspiracy theories and he’ll call every Democrat some new horrible name, demanding investigations and hurling accusations at Biden or Schiff or Pelosi or me or you … fucking anyone and everyone. It’s going to be a heck of a few month. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/66 "2020-03-09T22:34:05Z")
> [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > But really, there’s no reason to take him out in handcuffs if he decides to stay in the White House. It would be fun to watch. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2020, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/67 "2020-03-09T22:37:27Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I don’t think he really has what it takes to invalidate the election, but I shudder think of the crazy shit he’ll do and/or say as a lame duck. Just imagine the nightmare that Twitter will become. He’ll tweet non-stop. Literally, he will spend all day every day tweeting and retweeting memes and conspiracy theories and he’ll call every Democrat some new horrible name, demanding investigations and hurling accusations at Biden or Schiff or Pelosi or me or you … fucking anyone and everyone. It’s going to be a heck of a few month. And that will be a relief. If Trump spends his last few weeks in office tweeting out conspiracy theories and planning lawsuits, he’ll be too busy to do any serious damage. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/68 "2020-03-09T23:50:50Z")
not long before Nixon quit the sec of defense , James Schlesinger , told the top generals to check with him if Nixon tried to give them orders directly. That might happen again. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/69 "2020-03-10T00:03:41Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > not long before Nixon quit the sec of defense , James Schlesinger , told the top generals to check with him if Nixon tried to give them orders directly. That might happen again. Could a prez include in his orders an order not to check with the Secretary or anyone else at all? ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/70 "2020-03-10T00:06:56Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Could a prez include in his orders an order not to check with the Secretary or anyone else at all? I assume he could include anything he wants. But the military are trained to not follow an illegal order. Remember a lot of Nazis tried to claim they were just following orders to kill Jews. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/71 "2020-03-10T00:08:20Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > ^^ > This. It depends on whether there are sufficient Republicans to support him. > In the US a person does not become President-elect on election night. Or when the electoral college votes. They become it when the result is certified by Congress. > > If the election is disputed enough, even with an ostensible Biden/Sanders win, do you guys really think (lets say there is a Republican majority in Congress) that the 'Pubs will not support Trump. > They refuse to certify Biden and instead force it to the House? Voting in state delegations? You think they aren’t capable of that. Refuse the returns from enough states to prevent a 270. In which case, January 20th rolls around and President Pelosi takes over the White House. 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/72 "2020-03-10T00:26:29Z")
Garfield was shot in March but died in September so he lingered on for 6 months. During that time they tried a lot of methods to remove the bullet but that probably just made it worse because in 1881 they were not yet worried about infections. They even tried to find the bullet with a type of metal detector from Alexander Graham Bell. BTW Lincoln’s son was there when Garfield was shot. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/73 "2020-03-10T04:43:00Z")
Why the orange terror will not leave the White House peacefully: Because he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. One minute after Pres. Biden is inaugurated, agents of several states will step up with warrants. Let’s see, does he go to Sing-Sing or Folsom? His only escape is to die in office. Since he’s the healthiest president who has ever existed, it’s not likely without assistance. Imagine the shrine erected at the spot he keels over and discorporates! It will be a pilgrimage site for generations, even more than Nixon’s Yorba Linda birth cabin. Statues will rise. Hymns will resonate. White doves will sail the sky. Gold-dipped underage topless dancers will cavort in in pools of kim-chee sent from Pyongyang. Jehovah will weep, but who cares? Glory to the late God-Emperor! Death to Democrats! Sorry if I got carried away. But think of the spectacle! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/74 "2020-03-10T05:51:33Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > In that case, I can’t wait for President Sanders Biden to order the military flight to stay on the ground, have Trump escorted from the from the plane, and force him to fly commercial to Miami. Yeah, that’s realistic and reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/75 "2020-03-10T12:19:44Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > not long before Nixon quit the sec of defense , James Schlesinger , told the top generals to check with him if Nixon tried to give them orders directly. That might happen again. But Nixon’s Secretary of Defense wasn’t a toadie. I fear that nobody in the executive branch has the courage to stand up to any order no matter how ridiculous or dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/76 "2020-03-10T12:59:20Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Yeah, that’s realistic and reasonable. Rather than just naysay every post by a liberal, no matter how hyperbolic, how about actually adding to the conversation? ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/77 "2020-03-10T14:12:43Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > But Nixon’s Secretary of Defense wasn’t a toadie. I fear that nobody in the executive branch has the courage to stand up to any order no matter how ridiculous or dangerous. Yes that Sec of Defense also served as Sec of Energy for Carter. The current SOD is a retired Army Lt. Colonel so I think he can stand up to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/78 "2020-03-10T16:51:19Z")
I’d like to get ahead of the game. Will _ **insert next first-term President here** _ leave office peacefully when _ **opponent** _ wins? Will _ **insert next first-term President here** _ cancel the next Presidential election? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/79 "2020-03-10T17:00:00Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I’d like to get ahead of the game. > > Will _ **insert next first-term President here** _ leave office peacefully when _ **opponent** _ wins? > Will _ **insert next first-term President here** _ cancel the next Presidential election? Keep it handy the next time a fascist is elected president. Of course, the first 44 were not fascists so you might have a long wait. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110/80 "2020-03-10T17:15:23Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I’d like to get ahead of the game. > > Will _ **insert next first-term President here** _ leave office peacefully when _ **opponent** _ wins? I would say the next President will leave peacefully and normally when his term of office is done. And I have said that Donald Trump will not leave peacefully and normally when his term of office is done if he loses the election and it’s a single term. I base both of these predictions on the historical record. All of the people who have held the office of President, with one exception, have recognized the dignity of the office and have behaved accordingly. And Trump has been the exception. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-leave-office-peacefully-and-normally-if-he-loses-the-election/849110.md?page=5)