No forgiveness, no redemption, no mercy for Trump when he leaves office.

[shockey80]

I have never seen anyone make more powerful enemies than Trump has. Trumps vindictiveness is off the charts. He has attacked everyone he sees as a threat. Not only does he attack people verbally, he has gone out of his way to destroy their lives. He has attacked the FBI, CIA, politicians, Democratic states like New York, judges, etc.

Tump uses fear to get his way. He has used the power of the presidency to attack people, to force people to remain silent. The moment Trump is voted out of office he will lose his protection. People will no longer fear him, they will no longer remain silent. They will all come after Trump. Trump will never be allowed to leave the Whitehouse and simply go back to his old life, the enemies he has created will be waiting for him. They will not forget the crimes he has committed. Justice will finally be served. That's the way I see it.

2020 cannot get here soon enough.

[INdemo]

1. I believe that if Biden is elected he will pull a Gerald Ford

for the sake of "healing a Nation" and pardon Trump...his reasoning will be something like "Its time to move on" or "to move beyond the nightmare of Trump"

So much for the "no mercy idea"

[Runningdawg]

4. I agree. But Joe can't pardon states charges.

I used to live in NYC during the 80's NYC HATES Trump!! The minute that man is out of office they are going to pounce like a pack of wild dogs.

[INdemo]

10. True he cant but I just predict this will happen with Federal

[Brainfodder]

47. What's your track record on predictions?

Asking for a friend.....

[Lonestarblue]

23. If a Democrat wins in 2020, Trump will resign in January 2021.

He will not want to take the risk of no pardon from a Democratic president. Pence will become president for a few days with the sole duty of pardoning Trump for any federal crimes. I truly hope that New York state will fully prosecute him for any and all state crimes, and include his family as well.

[Buckeyeblue]

29. Does Trump have to serve the entire term to get his pension?

That may be the only money he has to live on.

[former9thward]

84. He does not take a salary.

Why would he need a pension?

[Buckeyeblue]

86. I know he claims to donate it but he also lies about everything

[former9thward]

87. The government releases his donations every quarter.

If he was lying about that someone in the media in the last 2 1/2 years would have gone to those organizations and asked if they received the money.

[Buckeyeblue]

88. Really? Why? He lies so much. The media can't track them all down.

[former9thward]

89. So not a single reporter from the WA Post or NY Times

in 2 1/2 years has been willing to make a single phone call?

[oldsoftie]

33. Helluva good point, but you think he can swallow his pride enough to DO that??

[Berlin Expat]

73. I was thinking about that

the other day: That if Trump loses come next November (knock on wood!), would he resign and in return, Pence issues a blanket pardon for Trump and his family - and cronies - for any Federal crimes committed and then he steps in as a caretaker President until the new Democratic POTUS formally takes office in January 2021?

I was thinking he'd probably resign sooner than January 2021 in that scenario. Maybe as early as a week or two after Election Day.

ETA: Granted, there's nothing Pence could do regarding pardoning state-level charges, so on that, Trump would be on his own.

ETA Part II: To avoid any consequences for state-level crimes, Trump and family would have to flee the country to another nation that has no extradition treaty with the United States. Quite famously, Russia has no such treaty with the USA......and who knows? Maybe that's what Trump and Putin talk about on the phone and in private - we have no way of really knowing.

[rampartc]

59. why doesn't the state jump now?

the "can't indict a sitting president" is bogus and needs to be challenged.

[former9thward]

83. Why didn't they "pounce" before?

Trump has been doing deals in NY since the 70s. If there is a violation of state law why haven't charges been filed? Also there is nothing to stop NY from filing charges now. Nothing.

[cwydro]

6. Yikes, I hadn't thought about that.

[Ace Rothstein]

11. I'll never vote again if a Democrat pardons Trump.

[marlakay]

24. If Biden pardoned him a lot of democrats

Would rise up against him, he would have a hard time getting anything done.

I sincerely hope Obama would talk some sense into him.

[AlexSFCA]

38. Quite frankly, I'm not sure Obama wouldn't have pardoned him either

On the other hand, I 100% trust Harris or Warren would prosecute trump to the fullest extent of the law and not only him but every accomplice with no mercy whatsoever.

[marlakay]

56. I know I think they would to

I just don’t recognize our country it’s changed so fast.

[BigMin28]

52. Same here

There is no healing the nation without trump and company facing consequence for the crimes committed. If he/they are pardoned, there is no justice in America. He has broken the law right out in the open. That must not be allowed to stand.

[Raster]

63. Oh, I'll vote again and again and again...

...and if ANY Democrat POTUS pardons tRump*, I will make it my life's work to actively seek their defeat.

One of the main reasons we have our rethuglican* problems today is because Ford* pardoned Nixon*, who should have been prosecuted and punished to the fullest. No person --man, woman or politician-- is above the law.

[Bettie]

12. I think so too

and that would leave that door open for the next even more corrupt guy to go in, knowing that there are no consequences for anything you do if you are a Republican.

It would be a huge mistake and would not buy him even one tiny drop of cooperation from Moscow Mitch and his backup dancers.

[oldsoftie]

36. MORE corrupt???

i guess it COULD be possible

[Bettie]

41. I know, right?

but yeah, more corrupt.

We thought W and Cheney were bad and this guy makes them look like pikers in terms of corruption.

What will we buy with the next one if our party lets this go?

[Bettie]

53. A piker is a person

who does things in a small way, like a small time criminal or a gambler who only makes tiny bets.

In this case, someone who looks like they barely scratched the corruption surface in comparison to the thing that is doing it now!

[dalton99a]

16. +1. A distinct possibility

Another consideration is age

78 year old guy being merciful to 74 year old guy

[cab67]

17. This is something EVERY democratic candidate must address

Will they pardon trump, or will they hold him accountable?

This is an election issue.

[dobleremolque]

42. This is also a question

that should be posed to Congressional leadership, too. Comity is dead, the Republicans killed it and Democrats trying to revive it is an exercise in futility.

[Celerity]

80. ohhhhhh, the MINUTE that question is asked, especially in a debate, Rump will explode in rage

He will truly lose it, he will go completely batshit, foaming at the mouth mad, probably have to be tranqed like a wild boar.



so I say........

[former9thward]

85. Since there are no charges no one will answer it.

They all will just say "everything needs to be investigated".

[Perseus]

26. That is exactly what Obama did

Obama should have held investigations on 9/11. Anyway, Biden, or anyone else can only pardon federal crimes, the creature will most probably end up bankrupt because the state indictments are going to take everything he's got, and hopefully his family who has been part of the scam will also pay.

[SCVDem]

28. Fercrissakes!

Just ask Biden NOW what he would do.

If he goes with the Ford model I will drop my support for him in a second and you will see his numbers go to single digits.

I highly doubt Ttump will get any federal pass. It divided us with Bush and that's the last thing we need post Ttump.

[ancianita]

54. Exactly. He'd be a damned fool to even THINK of pardoning 45 after all he's said and all the work

Dems have had to do to get rid of him.

Biden would enrage Dems of Congress.

I don't think he'll do it.

[Richard58]

31. Unfortunately I fear you are right.

I could easily see Biden and some other candidates not going after Trump for the sake of "healing the nation" bullshit. I hated it when Obama did it with George W Bush. Bush got us into an illegal war by lying about WMD's. He should have gone to prison as a war criminal. But the Democrats are always so "nice" and forgiving. Trump must NOT get off scot-free! He must face a jury for the crimes he committed and continues to commit. If the next President talks about not taking action again him I will be so unbelievably pissed!

[FakeNoose]

39. It won't happen - if Biden's running mate

... is Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris. If it's anybody else, I can't say for sure.

You're right that Biden might be tempted to take the easy road, but the right campaign partner will keep him on the straight path.

[uponit7771]

68. +1

[Scruffy1]

74. I disagree.

The vice presidency is totally worthless. It's usually used to park someone out of the way. It's rare that the vice president has any say over policy. The voters don't car either. Hell, if you can put Sarah Palin on the ticket. Roosevelt knew this and put John Nance Garner on the ticket and still won one of the biggest landslides ever. I just don't get all this talk about Vice president candidates. The office is worthless. I have never heard a voter talking about voting for the Vice President.

[katmondoo]

76. Remember Dick Cheney

[cab67]

77. It can hurt more than help.

I know otherwise conservative people who didn’t vote for John McCain specifically because Sarah Palin was his running mate. The thought of someone like that being next in line for the presidency scared the shit out of them.

Dan Quayle didn’t exactly help Bush the Elder, either.

People won’t vote for a candidate because of his or her running mate, but they might vote against.

[Brainfodder]

46. NO WAY!

I'll bet against that ridiculous notion.

Healing....

[Talitha]

49. Whether Biden (or any Candidate) would consider pardoning trump...

is something we need to ask and have put on record.
Their responses would either attract or repel future votes.

[BigDemVoter]

61. I disagree 100%.

No, Biden would NOT do that-- I don't think ANY Democrat would with the possible exception of somebody like Tulsi Gabbard or perhaps Amy Klobuchar? I truly doubt that even they would pull a Gerald Ford.

[madinmaryland]

62. No. Biden will stand next to tRump while Biden gives his inaugural speech and will say to America

“This is a big fucking deal”, that trump will be a private citizen.

[Celerity]

81. I see zero chance of this, it would rip our party apart nt

[malaise]

2. He has also attacked other experts in their different fields

Scientists, environmentalists, economists, sociologists, doctors (including psychiatrists).
The stupid racist fuck knows more than everyone else on the planet and if you dare to disagree, he's coming for you.

He is a low life street thug.

[lpbk2713]

3. Trump is a thief and a traitor.

H'es not just a good ole boy playing the game like most of them do.
He should be prosecuted for his many crimes. And he should do time.

[Iliyah]

5. I have none for him now . . . .

[Mike 03]

7. Amen. Or his enablers.

Everyone around him should be shunned and regarded as permanently unemployable, or as Joe Biden says, "aberrations."

[Ms. Toad]

8. Just don't get too complacent about winning in 2020

Remember 2016.

[MyOwnPeace]

9. Probably the most

important post on DU today!!! We need to make it our Party motto!!!!!!

REMEMBER 2016!

[Augiedog]

13. A pardon won't stop states from pursuing the Orange anus right to the gates of hell!

[Snake Plissken]

14. Republican Jesus would offer Trump no mercy so why should anyone else

I hope he dies in prison

[safeinOhio]

15. Trump is a vindictive asshat and

I refuse to be like him.

Sorry, but that is just me.

[Scarsdale]

21. Have you threatened people like

he does? Broken every rule of law? Made a mockery of the Constitution? Spent taxpayer money as though it is free to him and his family? No? Well, then don't compare yourself to this orange anus-mouthed ass. I do not want him to finish his term. I want him impeached, no pension, no healthcare, NOTHING. He has grifted enough from the treasury already with his golf trips, his rallies that cities are left holding the bills for.

[SCVDem]

30. Nixon was guilty of many things.

Selling us out to Russia and fucking the economy and farmers is so much worse.

Off with his head!

[not_the_one]

37. Then step aside.

Pardoning turdface is a deal breaker.

It is also "more of the same", rather than true change.

At this point, contrary to Biden's view, there ARE NO GOOD REPUBLICANS.

Biden should be asked, so the rest of us can decide, accordingly.

He would drop to Gabbard level.

[Paladin]

18. +1,000,000. (nt)

[Mr.Bill]

19. We are where we are at today

because Nixon didn't die in prison. We can't make that mistake again.

[OMGWTF]

40. And AWOL War Monger George W, Bush who is a GD WAR CRIMINAL!

[Hotler]

20. I think we should hold this over all the democratic candidates heads.

Go on record to commit to no pardons for anyone in his administration.

[SayItLoud]

22. How it will go down.

If he loses in Nov. By Dec 31 he will resign and Pence will pardon him on Federal charges pending and coming.

What is needed are charges on Pence to possibly prevent him using the pardon power for tRUMP.

It is not only tRUMP who must pay the piper for the greed, kkoning and corruption. The entire tRUMP crime family needs to be held accountable. Especially Kushner who traded US top intel to Saudis in return of a billion dollar bailout on his families devil building at 666 Park Avenue.

We should all be prepared for the tRUMP crime family to profit for decades to come from their back handed deals with Russia, S. Korea, and countries in the Middle East. They could care less about Europe but developing countries like those stated are ripe targets (suckers) for the tRUMP crime syndicate. And, all those corrupt deals will be at the Federal level not State...unless NY digs in and gets him via the tRUMP Organ!

Just sayin..

[Disaffected]

34. What youse guys really need IMO

is nullification of the blanket pardon power given the pres. It's so open to abuse I don't understand why it was granted in the first place. The Trump resigns so Pence can pardon him scenario is a prime example. It has even been postulated that Trump could pardon himself, an even greater absurdity.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

25. ditto

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. Tarring and feathering and other more primitive forms of retribution

are out of fashion, but I kind of like the idea of Trump in stocks in the public square, where I could pelt him with the rotten produce I found in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator this weekend.

Realistically, he won't spend a day in jail, but I'll be dancing in the streets on the day he's no longer president. Whatever happens to him after that is just gravy.

[Fiendish Thingy]

32. The next President must look backward, not forwards

To make sure this never happens again.

Nuremberg style tribunals for crimes against humanity , corruption, national security breaches, etc. Must all be investigated and the criminals brought to justice.

No Status Quo, return to normalcy will heal the damage done by Trump and his cabal.

[Joe941]

66. Agreed the next president's focus needs to be to bring the trumps to justice.

[Fiendish Thingy]

67. Agreed, but Not for revenge or retaliation, but so the People will know just how bad it was

And in the process of bringing Trump and cabal to justice, enacting legislation ensuring it never happens again.

As much as I'd like to see Trump and kids behind bars, I would be nearly as thrilled if there was significant asset forfeiture- wouldn't you love to see a Trump property seized and turned into the Donald J Trump refugee and asylum seeker settlement center?

[Still In Wisconsin]

35. I agree, no mercy for any of the Trumps.

The Donald, Princess Ivanka and Prince Jahhr-udd, Beavis and Butthead, I want them all to be utterly destroyed when this is over.

[True Blue American]

44. Mayor Whaley gets death threats

After Trump comments.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/08/18/dayton-mayor-nan-whaley-receives-threats-after-comments-trump/2045491001/

[Bob Loblaw]

45. Sorry DU, I'm gonna show Trump some mercy

I have decided I will go ahead and piss on him if I see him and he's on fire, but only if I don't have to cross the street.

[LanternWaste]

48. I'm strangely curious as to how his post-WH career will shake out

There are few prime movers and shakers left (in the US, anyway) that he hasn't pissed off, or tried to bully or walk over. Given that and that his family brand is in the toilets and can only go down, I'm wondering what he's going to do to maintain his gilded-toilet lifestyle.

That bit of viscera from me aside, I'm looking forward to the Idiot-Trump version of HBO's move Game Changer. How much trash the writers will have to sift through to find an actual spine of a plot, plus the eventual casting will make it a treat to watch.

[Grasswire2]

51. He (and his brood) must be rendered penniless and powerless...

....because vengeance is his motivating force and he would strive to head up the White Nationalist Party or some such shit.

Due process for their crimes. Imprisoned, all of them. All assets seized. Passports pulled. Movements restricted. No doing business ever again. No public life. Zero. Shut them down. Melania included.

[dawg day]

55. Even more, I like to think about Jarvanka going back to NYC-

and being shunned. (Preferably after serving a sentence for their corruption.)

They present themselves as being "classy" because they wear expensive clothing. So being treated like pariahs would be torture-- not the sort of torture their friend MBS ordered on Khashoggi, but for these two frayed snowflakes, it will hurt.

I like to think that they will only find a congenial refuge in Trump areas like Oklahoma. West Virginia. Mississippi. And only in the rural areas because the cities are too diverse. It would serve them right to only be welcome in the sort of towns they'd never willingly set foot in.

[Vinca]

57. I would like to confirm with each and every one of our primary candidates that they

will NOT pardon Trump. No Jerry Fords.

[jmowreader]

58. I don't think Trump is looking for a pardon from Pence

I must start this comment with a quote from a Batman movie.

Alfred Pennyworth: With respect Master Wayne, perhaps this is a man that you don't fully understand, either. A long time ago, I was in Burma. My friends and I were working for the local government. They were trying to buy the loyalty of tribal leaders by bribing them with precious stones. But their caravans were being raided in a forest north of Rangoon by a bandit. So, we went looking for the stones. But in six months, we never met anybody who traded with him. One day, I saw a child playing with a ruby the size of a tangerine. The bandit had been throwing them away.

Bruce Wayne: So why steal them?

Alfred Pennyworth: Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

Trump is a KGB plant. We know that. He is working with the Russian government to bring down our government. We know that too.

If Trump loses the election, what I really believe will happen is Trump will do something that's hard to reverse (like, say, order the Proud Boys to start shooting people). He will then have his entire administration resign en masse. They, and Mitch McConnell, will board his personal B757, and they will flee to Russia. The idea is that by removing the leadership of this country from it all at once while there is a civil war going on, he can throw the whole country into chaos.

What he does NOT realize, of course, is the government was designed with something like this in mind. The person who would become president, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would be sworn in minutes after Trump abdicated. She could quickly assemble a team of experienced, smart people to fill the Cabinet seats simply by calling Vice President Biden and Obama's cabinet. Her first act as president would be to call out the National Guard to deal with the Proud Boys. This they could do without firing any shots: the Proud Boys would turn into the Whimpering Boys as soon as National Guard infantrymen started pointing loaded M4 rifles at their noses.

We would need to have a South African-style Truth and Reconciliation Commission to get Trump's white supremacist movement shut down.

[fescuerescue]

60. The same was said of W. Bush.

That he would be arrested and extradited by a long list of countries.

Trump will vanish in the obscurity like Bush, Nixon even Ford. Not to mention that Trump is already up there in years and the likelihood of him being here for decades is slim.

Sad reality is that he will retire into luxury and people waiting on him hand and foot. Not the way it should be, but the way nonetheless.

We can't even focus on Supreme Court justices after confirmation. Remember when Kavanaugh and Gorsuch were slated to be heavily investigated? Hell we can't even manage an impeachment -NOW- when the stakes are the highest ever.

After 2020, or 2024, there will be a new big bad that we have to focus on, and Trump will be a bad memory.

[Joe941]

65. I wont forget and neither should any of us.

[Joe941]

64. At the inauguration he should be lead off the back of the stage and cuffed.

[ooky]

71. I predict he will leave the country some days prior to inauguration,

never to return. I expect him to run to someplace that he cannot be extradited back to face charges. He is a coward and will take the coward's way out the rear door.

[cab67]

78. The very first action of the next president

should be to sign an executive order rescinding as many of Trump’s executive orders as possible.

I’m serious. It should merely say ‘the following executive orders are hereby rescinded,’ followed by a list of the rescinded executive orders.

[RainCaster]

69. I wonder how hard the secret service will protect him when he is done?

[myohmy2]

70. wishful thinking...

...every Dem and puke in power will agree that it's now time to focus on the future and not regurgitate the past...

...and this is how the current crop's assured a free-hand by allowing yesterday's political scoundrels go free...

...seen it happen too many times...(think of cheney, his chimp and the rest of the puke gang)


"They will not forget the crimes he has committed."

...only Bernie...within hours of trump's departure the rest will be responding, "Trump? Trump who?"

...guaranteed...

[Progressive Jones]

72. When Trump loses in 2020,

I want to see Congress act to strip him of any benefits afforded an ex-President.
No pension, no security detail, nothing.
Make him nothing but a fucking asterisk.

[Grasswire2]

82. But George W* is already the asterisk. Has been since 2000.

So we have to find something else for Trump.

[Progressive Jones]

90. Bush didn't lose his pension and security detail. nt

[Ferrets are Cool]

75. I can hear it now...It's time to move on.

FUCK THAT SHIT. MAKE THIS FUCKHEAD PAY FOR HIS CRIMES DAMMIT.

[ellie]

79. Absolutely

Throw his worthless ass in jail and prosecute his family for their crimes. He and his minions need to be made an example of.