Full disclosure: I am "one of those" who honestly does not believe that there is literally

[Atticus]

ANYTHING Trump would not at least attempt in order to stay in office. I specifically include treason and murder in that "ANYTHING".

With that understood, is it not a distinct possibility that, using his "emergency powers" to deal with the pandemic and "in the interest of national security", Trump may "postpone" the November election?

In a real sense, he is fighting for his life. If he loses the election and is out of power, he will face investigations, prosecutions, convictions and prison sentences he would likely not outlive. Like a cornered rat, the man will do ANYTHING.

[msongs]

1. he might cut a deal to save himself if he agrees to leave the white house nt

[TEB]

2. Agreed

And he’s only running to stay out of prison

[Celerity]

62. not a chance, he's drunk with power, he sees himself as literally the most powerful human in history

Unfortunately, atm, he likely is.

If he is not removed from office in some manner or fashion, doom will be the fruit most reaped.

[TEB]

66. Terrifying

And true

[cwydro]

79. I agree.

Spot on.

[Under The Radar]

3. What would his response to this crisis be if not in an election year?

[barbtries]

19. it's pretty much been election year

since the day he took office. he's been throwing rallies this whole time. so, i don't think it would have been any better.

[yonder]

27. I might have this wrong but didn't he file for re-election the day after he took office?

[MiniMe]

29. I believe you are correct

[barbtries]

31. i don't know,

but it's possible. i know he kept on with the fucking rallies - not being able to do them now will send him into a deep funk. they're like air to him.

[Under The Radar]

39. The point is that he would care less about the illnesses

He is only pretending to give a shit because of the election in 8 months.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I don't think there are any lines he wouldn't cross.

[Stuart G]

25. Yes, I agree Trump would cross any lines,but when he breaks the law in doing so, he will stand alone

..I don't think the Republican Party will stand with a person who breaks the law by staying in the White House when he has lost the election..(and Trump will lose the election by a whole lot.)

[Foolacious]

44. It breaks my heart to disagree with you.

I think the Republican party, with half-a-handful of exceptions, will acquiesce to anything The Traitor demands. Anything.

[SergeStorms]

48. I had a sobering thought...

considering the GOP's penchant for winning at all costs, I expect they'd attempt to infect both Biden and Sanders (if they haven't already) in order to defeat Democrats in November. Either that (or both) seeding the virus in large Democratic districts around the country. These people are evil, and so far there's been no bottom to the pit that they consider their "right" to win elections. They're traitors, treasonous pieces of shit, and I put nothing past them in their quest to remain in power. The fascist coup continues, in my opinion.

[volstork]

51. I wish I could say

that you are way off base, but I’m afraid you are 100% correct. They’ve gotten away with treason for 50 years and no one has stopped them, so they will continue until someone finally does.

[NBachers]

61. This has been my fear, too. Biden must be protected; Democratic populations must be protected.

Gavin Newsom, California's governor, said today that the test kits California received from the Federal Government lacked essential components needed to make the tests work.

So, is this a fuck up, or is it intentional? I think it's an intentional attempt to hamper California's ability to defend itself against the Coronavirus. A monstrous crime committed against California by the Trump Administration.

At this point, there are a few points of light flickering in our hearts, able to deliver us from the scourge of the Trump / Republican crime cartel. The brightest point of light is Joe Biden. Neither Trump, the Republicans at large, or Putin, will have the slightest hesitation to eliminate Biden.

We need to keep Joe safe and protected, at all costs.

[certainot]

86. that's because of their secret weapon - talk radio

if the left and dems stopped ignoring it and it was threatened at lest a few republican senators would suddenly stop worrying about trump using limbaugh and sons to attack them and would dump him.

[Bettie]

73. I do think they would allow and even encourage that

I also think that if that should happen, any of them who are defeated in their races (house/senate) will probably dispute the results and continue to hold office, with the blessing of their newly packed courts.

[DENVERPOPS]

49. Not just him

But his entire Administration, the Republican Senators, etc etc etc

[pbmus]

5. Just got done talking about this possibility with my current significant other...

Conversation has veered into ‘the Con is not acting to effectively prolong the issues til November’

[Hoyt]

6. He's not going to prison. No jury will convict him for anything seen as political,

too many white wingers to hang a jury.

I have faith that elections will be held; and, if we turn out to vote, trump is history.

[TwilightZone]

7. He can't. Emergency powers don't apply.

Martial law doesn't apply.

Whatever he wants to apply doesn't apply.

States are in charge of elections.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/RL32471.pdf

[mr_lebowski]

10. What happens if 20+ red states cede their power to Trump and cancel theirs?

Do we have enough Democratic Governors to get to 270?

[TwilightZone]

14. They can't.

They all have state laws that govern elections. The states can't just cede power to the feds, plus it's unconstitutional.

[treestar]

84. There's no provision for a state to do any such thing.

States have police powers, they can't hand them over to the fed.

[Atticus]

11. That dog won't hunt. If we have learned anything about Trump so far, it is that he does

not give a hot damn about what laws apply, what power he has or who else is supposed to be in charge. He does as he pleases and says "Sue me!" With his personal attorney Barr defending him and "his" 5-4 wingnut majority on SCOTUS, how do you think that would end and how long do you think it would take?

[TwilightZone]

13. He can't do anything. That's the point.

He can't tell people to sue him for something he can't do in the first place.

How do you propose that he stop 50 state legislatures from running their own elections?

It's a pipe dream and we must. stop. giving. it. oxygen.

Did everyone suddenly forget that elections aren't Federal?

[BamaRefugee]

16. The Electoral College decides the election. And it is totally a Federal institution. And

Trump’s toadies will go full bore to ensure that he can fuck up the Electoral College with impunity.

[cstanleytech]

54. The electoral college is completely outside the scope of a Presidents power.

[BamaRefugee]

63. NOTHING is outside the scope of the "Unitary Executive" and Barr, Roberts and McConnell would be

More than happy to prove it.

[treestar]

85. States decide who the Electors vote for.

[mr_lebowski]

18. He convinces one state governor and legislature, say it's Alabama ...

To cancel their state election for POTUS due to the Covid emergency. SOME state run by 'Pukes probably has some obscure law that allows them to postpone elections by order of the governor and legislature in tandem in case of emergency.

We might not even know he interfered in the process.

Then he says 'WELL, we can't have the election without all 50 states!' and runs to SCOTUS, and what do you think they say?

At the very least it would cause massive chaos.

[Atticus]

22. Last time I checked, most state legislatures and governors are currently Republican. Do you

really believe they would defy Dear Leader on a matter which he said was necessary for "national security"?

I understand that what I am suggesting is outrageous, but since when has Donald Trump shied away from outrageous conduct that benefitted him?

I do not say it will happen, but I do believe it is an option he has probably already considered.

[zipplewrath]

55. Problem is

In the end it is the EC that decides elections and the Congress that accepts or rejects the EC results. It's the reality that if states don't send EC results then their votes don't count. As long as Nancy controls the house by such large margins, it will be hard for Trump to prevent elections to the intended end.

[doc03]

47. The SCOTUS decided the election in 2000 nt

[azureblue]

87. What will get him gone

Is when the rest of the GOP decides that Trump is ruining their brand and threatening their money. They are realizing that Trump is the Titanic, and they better get off that ship quick or they will go down with him. Presidents may come and go, but Wall Street remains. With all the crap Trump has been pulling and the sinking of the Dow, you can bet the big money people are having a discussion about how to get Trump out before he costs them any more money.

And I bet Trump will go along with it of he can get a no prosecution deal. Now whether the states agree to that is another issue. NY wants Trump behind bars.

[PufPuf23]

36. Yeah. States are in charge of elections but the USSC awarded

Florida to GWB and GWB became POTUS instead of Al Gore in 2000.

Recall it turned out if the recount had gone to protocol, Gore would have won.

I doubt if a GOP ex-POTUS will ever be punished for malfeasance; Nixon, Reagan, GHWB, GWB, all felons that paid no price.

Agree with Atticus that Trump pretty much has no limits.

[doc03]

46. He has done something every day that "He Can't" and

Republicans still back him. If he does it what can be done, he has been proven to be above any laws. The AG is under
his control, the Senate won't do anything and the SCOTUS has been packed with right wingers. I think the only thing
that could stop him from doing whatever he wants is if we take to the streets.

[John Fante]

59. Trump has lost over 90% of his court cases since becoming president:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/americanindependent.com/donald-trump-lost-court-cases-obstruction-stonewalling-taxes/amp/

He isn't above shit.

[doc03]

71. Yes but it goes nowhere except to a higher court. He

has blocked his taxes, the Mueller Report, never turned over any records. As far as I can see he has been able to defy
every law with no consequences.

[John Fante]

72. Not true. Many of those court losses, MOST of those losses, never make it

to the Supreme Court. You see his victories and ignore the rest

[doc03]

74. Do we have his taxes? Do we have the unredacted

Mueller Report and documents requested by Congress on the Russia or Ukraine? I can't think of any victories we have had other than impeachment and they killed that.

[Atticus]

91. Examples? nt

[FirstLight]

8. ...been worried about it for a long while...

and this clusterfuck is just a perfect storm for his sorry ass

are we going to be living through every Apocalypse movie we've ever seen...? I dont wanna know

[D_Master81]

9. The election is still 7+ months away

I fully expect this virus to reappear again next year but it will depend on timing. I can’t see this current crisis last beyond May. Sickness always seems to dip in the summer. That said we really don’t know what we’re dealing with yet.

[uponit7771]

26. Given Hanks got it in fairly warm Oz the summer isn't going to save us.

[Whiskeytide]

38. I read a post here earlier ...

... that said Australian authorities believed Hanks got in the US. I don’t know if that’s correct, but it was accompanied with a link I didn’t read.

[cwydro]

80. Yes, thats what the Aussie authorities believe.

Makes sense.

[radical noodle]

34. We're already having 80 degree days

here in Florida. It will be interesting to see if cases continue to spike here or start to die out.

[uponit7771]

41. So true, Florida has be in the 80s for a while. So has SoCal ... still tons of CV cases

[ooky]

12. I am also one of those and have been saying so for a while.

I can't even recall the specific event that made me start believing that because there have been so many events with this monster, but it was after Barr became the AG and before the impeachment trial that it hit me that he wasn't likely to leave on his own without a fight to stay, and stay permanently. I believe if he feels he will lose the election that he will attempt to postpone the election "indefinitely" and attempt to retain the power of the presidency as a full blown dictator. I have no idea if he can get away with it.

[smirkymonkey]

15. There is only one hope.

And that is that he won't survive until election day. It's possible. He is very unhealthy and the stress of what is going on right now must be taking a toll on him. I know it's a long-shot, but it is the only thing that is keeping me optimistic.

[Turin_C3PO]

42. I wake up every morning hoping...

[JustAnotherGen]

64. I don't think he will

But then I remember that evil asshole Anita Bryant is still alive and realize - evil souls have evil's longevity on their side.

[smirkymonkey]

65. It's true. They all seem to live forever for some reason.

Maybe we are already in hell and don't realize it. Effing Dick Cheney is still alive.

[Stuart G]

17. I think Trump is nuts, and his family knows it. (I think the family has known it for some time)

...If Trump loses the election, and wants to stay in office forever, I believe the family and close associates will do everything possible to get him to leave office..(including calling in guards to physically remove him.)

..Trump can yell and scream, but in the end if he has lost the election, (and it will not be close) he will be forced to leave by family and associates in the Puke Party. Why? Even the Puke Party will not allow Trump to break a law that is so obvious. While Trump may think he can disobey the law (and the Constitution) there are powers in my opinion that will take care of that thinking. Trump will look crazy to all, and yes, the rest of "ALL" will take the crazy man out of the White House.

..He will not postpone the election, even though there is that possibility. The election was not postponed during WWII, and will not be postponed now. Yes, there will be a crisis, but many of the Pukes will come around because it will be clear that Trump has gone ...NUTS!!

Maybe when that crises hits, the nation will unify behind the new Democratic President and what needs to be done with Trump,.... will be obvious to everyone, and I believe it will be done.

......Trump will be physically removed from the White House and taken to a hospital..

[Generic Brad]

32. But his family's nuts too

Those grifters won’t want to leave either.

[Stuart G]

35. When Trump breaks the law, and that is clear to everyone, those grifters will leave too.

...It will be so obvious to everyone, and the Republican Party will not stand with Trump who lost the
election by a large margin...(and he will lose the election)

[mountain grammy]

20. Wouldn't surprise me a bit

And the Supreme Court is definitely on his side.

[Jarqui]

21. I've been worrying for Joe's safety because Trump is ruthless as are the GOP

Hate to overreact but having lived through:
JFK
MLK
RFK
and
John Lennon

all of which had profound effects on me

as a number of you have experienced, it messes with you

[Haggis for Breakfast]

23. He may indeed be fighting for his life.

With all of the one-on-one contact he has had with infected people, he may have the virus himself.

[Timewas]

40. Well

We can only hope

[uponit7771]

24. YES !!! It's gob smacking that there are people who still give him the botd !!

[Stuart G]

28. ..For those who don't know...botd...means,... benefit of the doubt..(I am one of those)

[MiniMe]

33. Thanks Stuart G

I didn't know

[rickyhall]

30. Then again. He may have CIVID19 so may not live that long.

[Dem2theMax]

37. I can't let my brain go there.

I have to hold on to some hope that somehow we are going to be saying President Biden in January.

If I couldn't hold on to that hope, I may as well go over to the local emergency room and just hang around until I get the virus. And then refuse treatment.

I'm holding on to hope.

(And I know Trump will do anything he can.)

But for my own sanity, hope.

[Alpeduez21]

43. I don't doubt repukes will lie cheat and steal

to win. I also believe if he loses the lazy lying steaming pile Hump will take a trip to Russia and never return. Fingers crossed!

GET OUT THE VOTE!!

[Vdizzle]

45. Fuck his couch.

[Leith]

50. I agree with Atticus

Once chumpy pulled all those stunts during the debates with HRC (inviting all the women who accused WJC, roaming around the stage behind her and humping the chair), I knew that nothing was beyond him. He's just getting started.

I think he will fuck with the electoral college. Pay them off, have faithful electors removed by rethug governors - whatever it takes.

Knowing rethugs, they have a bunch more tricks in their ratty bags.

[sandensea]

52. You can add Continuity of Gummint to that list.

It's long been feared someone like him might misuse that power - and that might just happen if Cheeto sees all is lost.

[Pepsidog]

53. Totally agree

[cstanleytech]

56. We should not worry about the elections. The Republicans had better worry though as they rely on the

elderly vote so if those elderly do not vote for them either because they lose faith in them or because they are dead due to this virus we might very well see alot more Republicans out of a job in Washington than we were expecting to see.

[Doodley]

58. I agree with the OP. He would start a nuclear war if there was enough upside for him.

I believe he would allow the Coronavirus to spread if he believed it helped him personally.

He would blackmail a world leader to announce a phony investigation into a rival.

He would take healthcare or foodstamps or social security from millions if it satisfied his spitefulness.

He would let the enemy of America cheat in our elections if he was the beneficiary.

He would let a political opponent be killed if he thought he'd get away with it.

He's the man who wanted to ban a whole religion from entering America. He's the man whose autobiography talks about how he punched a teacher when he was a child. He is a psychopath and capable of anything.

[John Fante]

60. Trump has lost over 90% of his court cases since becoming president.

Yeah, he's going to suspend elections despite not having the authority to do so. Sure.

I don't know who gets overrated more for being invincible, Trump or Putin?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/americanindependent.com/donald-trump-lost-court-cases-obstruction-stonewalling-taxes/amp/

[parhelion]

67. He WILL do anything...

I have to agree with the OP. It’s been proven time and again that this psychopath has no regard for the Constitution much less the rule of law. That being said, he and his sycophants would prefer to have at least a semblance of an election win, if only to use as a false defense for any challenges to his authority, as he has done with impeachment- an “attempted overturning of the 2016 election”, to paraphrase his words.

I understand that states control elections and that by law, he would be required to leave office on January 20, 2021 if defeated, but how could anyone at this point actually believe that he has any qualms about blatantly defying laws and manipulating the pandemic or any other crisis to secure a “win”? There will most likely be an election- even Russia has “elections”, albeit with a predetermined victor. He and his republican toadies will use any means necessary to retain power, most likely by gaming the Electoral College, as in 2016. Foreign interference, using the current crisis to coalesce more authoritarian control- it’s all a certainty. They seem to thrive and prosper on creating chaos.

We have to be prepared for the realistic and likely possibility of him stealing the election, regardless of us getting critically important voter turnout and winning by a huge margin. What’s the best course of action if that happens? I don’t know- mass protests, sit-down strikes? This is where leadership comes into play. If our presumptive candidate Joe Biden wins the popular vote or even the EC, but gets denied the presidency through cheating and manipulation, what are we going to do to fight it? We need a plan; denial of the reality of this dire situation will only lead to utter defeat. Another term for this despot will mark the end of our republic and likely guarantee a dictatorship for life, just as Putin has recently created for himself. These past three years have shown that we are in uncharted territory.

If anyone believes that that Sh*tler will actually allow a fair election and accept the results if defeated, then they haven’t been paying attention. The chaos and insecurity caused by the Covid-19 crisis further unveils his incompetency, but it also provides another opportunity for him to manipulate the power of his position and use it for his gain.

[wryter2000]

68. I'm sure he's considered it

Not sure he can get away with it

[czarjak]

69. Been saying for a while, actually.

[Raster]

70. I agree. Fat Caligula* will do anything to stay in power. ANYTHING.

[pangaia]

75. Postpone the elecetion. Oh, but the STATES run the elections..

THATS is what everybody tells me whenever I say that somehow there will be no election in NOV.

I am so glad SOMEBODY else agrees with me...

[LaMouffette]

76. Yes, the Evil Axis (Trump-GOP-Putin) will do ANYTHING, including attempting to infect . . .

our Democratic leaders with the corona virus. This idea terrifies me because I know these thugs have no conscience and are more than willing to do anything to win the 2020 election. They are, after all, Putin's protegés. And what a perfect crime! There would be no way to prove who had done it.

Everything possible MUST be done to protect everyone on Don the Con's hit list: Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, President Obama, etc.

[Baked Potato]

77. Definitely can't rule him OUT of any scenario.

I can’t even imagine him in a meeting with his goons and he says, “Oh no, we can’t do that”. He has the means, motive, and opportunity to do anything.

[mahina]

78. He'll find a way to slither away

But his money and property may be the monkey trap.

Member that story when you were a kid about how much the trap spinoff from a put your hand in and grab some food but they can either let it go or be stuck. None would let it go

[Trueblue Texan]

81. I suspect he's got the virus...

...he has several risk factors and multiple opportunities for exposure. His stress level is through the roof. I don't think we'll have to worry about him voluntarily leaving office. The virus will remove him from office.

[Sloumeau]

82. Do not be suprised if the following happens:

1. Republican governors keep using "this coronavirus thing" to justify moving state primaries back, even though Donald Trump is going to automatically win every state, and even if Democratic leadership in any given state does not want a given primary moved back. Do not be surprised if they do this knowing that the coronavirus situation will probably be even worse during whatever date they have pushed the primary back to.

2. Republicans start talking about how we cannot have primary elections as long as "this corona thing" is still going on.

3. Republicans cancel or push back so many primary elections that they eventually use that to justify calling for the national November Presidential General Election to be pushed back or canceled.

4. That after the November Presidential General Election is pushed back past Trump's end of term, that Trump and the Republicans insist on using "this corona thing" and the lack of a November Presidential General Election as a justification for Trump staying in office because no successor has been selected.

[treestar]

83. The states run the elections

He can't cancel it. What legal ground could he?

Where does the Constitution indicate this can be done?

Martial law has to have a war type situation where the courts can't function. The virus doesn't do that. People may stay home but the court can function if it has to.

[Scarsdale]

88. This "president gig" is the best

money making scam he has EVER had in his whole miserable life. He lives free, free travel, golf, meals. People kow-tow to him, call him "sir". His kids are making lots of money, travelling on the taxpayer dime conducting their businesses worldwide, plus wives and girlfriends are being paid from donor donations. Mnuchin is refusing to open the expense accounts for the entire family, so taxpayers can see how expensive these grifters are. He charges excessive fees for the Secret Service agents to stay at his fleabag hotels, and eat meals there. Best gig EVER for the orange ass. He and his family, will keep this going as long as possible. A few years ago there was talk about the fund for Secret Service protection running low. Now - nothing. What happened? Mnuchin, the dirty trickster is keeping all of this expense hidden. Taxpayers have been totally screwed by this useless, worthless family of grifters. They see the presidency as such a lucrative deal that they all considering running for the WH. Unqualified? So was daddy, and he made it.

[Texin]

89. I've been watching this thing unspool since late December.

I agree with ATTICUS that he certainly would do this. I've been worried that anything that could come down the pike he could seize on to invoke it, he'd do it.

[ElementaryPenguin]

90. I am also "one of those"!

And YES - he will do ANYTHING to remain in office, and out of prison!!!!

ANYTHING!!