Trump isn't setting up to contest the election. He's setting up an excuse.

[Drunken Irishman]

He wants to blame fraud for his impending loss. He realizes that contesting the national election is a loser scenario for him, as it will likely end in even a more humiliating defeat than just getting bounced on election night. Sure, he might crow about fraud and how it was stolen from him and he may never officially conceded if he loses - but it's all bluster to placate his vanity.

By screaming fraud right now, he can convince himself he really didn't lose. It's about making him feel better.

[soothsayer]

1. Probably doing both

Plus voter suppression! It’s a trifecta of Drumpf nonsense

[Hoyt]

2. Tend to agree. trump will become scarce and less vocal if he gets his ass handed to him in November.

[Jarqui]

3. I don't see how going to prison will make him feel better

He knows the statute of limitations can toll off for a lot of his crimes if he can get reelected.
I think he realizes this is for all the marbles.
He's a desperate man and I wouldn't underestimate that or his vindictiveness.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. The chances Trump goes to prison is about the chance Hillary does too.

[gopiscrap]

15. agreed

there is no prison in it's right mind that would want to deal with him or any other president for that matter my guess is if Trump loses about Jan 1 he will quit "du to medical reasons) in a deal with Pence Pence will pardon him of all federal crimes and he will skip to an autocratic nation where he can't be snatched, build a a huge place for that leader and a nice spot for himself also. Just be careful of a chunk of the national treasury going out the door with him

[ooky]

22. I don't know what his chances are but Hillary didn't commit any crimes.

New York could very well go after him.

[flotsam]

25. Disagree...

Not the republican nonsense but this always stunk of corruption:
" One analysis performed by Auburn University and published in the Journal of Economics and Finance claimed to find that the odds of a return as large as Clinton obtained during the period in question were about one in 31 trillion."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton_cattle_futures_controversy

I fully expect to be juried and have the post removed but facts are stubborn things...

[denbot]

4. His goal is to continue his scam, with an escape hatch if Putin can't pull it off.

He will go full bore to stay in office, and have Ivanka succeed him.

[Drunken Irishman]

6. His goal is what I said.

It's that simple. He realizes he's losing and he's trying to pad the inevitable.

[dawg day]

7. The problem is-- his salivating followers want permission from him to do violence.

We can't forget that there have already been killings by people who think Trump gave them a signal to get violent.

Cesar Sayoc comes to mind-- he was trying (fortunately failed) to kill two former presidents and many others with bombs-- in support of Trump. Ditto the Coast Guard officer Hasson, with the arsenal of assault weapons.

People like this are eager to take revenge against anyone against Trump.

[woodsprite]

8. He may feel that way about it, but I doubt Barr, Miller, McConnell, and the rest of the cabal do.

They'll do anything for him to win even if he doesn't want the job anymore.

[NightWatcher]

9. And in early January he resigns, takes a pardon from pence, and leaves the WH at 3:30 in the morning

And we wake up to International "Fuck,He's Finally Gone Day" and party like rockstars.

[ScratchCat]

14. Its curious how many people don't realize this part

At some point, Trump has to resign and have Pence pardon him for any potential federal crime to avoid potential federal prosecution. This HAS to happen. They will obviously claim Trump didn't do anything wrong, but "those evil Democrats are so hell-bent on getting him" that they would fabricate something. An in my opinion, this entire probe of the Russia Investigation is to set it up to look like any legitimate investigation of Trump once he is gone is merely "political", meant to pay back Trump for investigating Obama.

[gopiscrap]

17. yup

[Bayard]

18. He's always said he did nothing wrong

So why would he need a pardon?

[Thomas Hurt]

10. It ain't over until Trump is dragged bodily from the WH or he skulks back to Florida.

I have no doubt he will try to stay in power by any means he think he can get away with...he will not succeed.

I believe Biden will win but I thought Hilary Clinton would beat Trump, not by a lot, but would win.

So what do I know. Just going to have see how this all shakes out.

[The Magistrate]

11. There's A Lot To What You Say, Sir

He may think or even feel he is doing something else, but personal salve against looming defeat likely is the ground. He can tell himself he's not a loser if they cheated....

[Enoki33]

12. Hope you are right. Seems we have yet to fully appreciate the

depth of Reichdrumpf’s evilness. We have been warned more than once he is fully capable of burning down the nation in furtherance of his dictatorship, revenge and possible prison avoidance. He has the mentality of a modern day Idi Amin backed by the cunning of the GRU. Every single one of us who’s guided by the constitution have to vote as though our lives depend on it. Because it does.

[honest.abe]

13. You might very well be correct.

Makes sense given who we are dealing with here.

This gives me hope we might not have to deal with the "Trump wont leave the WH" scenario or endless legal challenges.

[brooklynite]

16. It also gives him something to complain about on his new TV station...

[Bayard]

19. Pence can't pardon him for state crimes

I don't think NYC is going to give up.

[sarcasmo]

20. Roger Stone already told us what Trump will do. Declare yourself the winner on election day.

Trump will lawsuit every swing state the Democratic party wins.

[kentuck]

21. At this point, he looks like a sure loser.

About the only way he can win is to rig it.

He can put lipstick on this pig and it is still going to wallow in the mud.

[Crunchy Frog]

23. I certainly hope you're right about that.

[NotASurfer]

24. Think back to 2020

The plot went something like this:

Putin (to Individual 1): we will rig the election for you

Individual 1 (to everyone): remember that this is a rigged election!

Sane responsible people: no, we don't hold rigged elections, Individual 1 will have to abide by the results of his obvious onrushing landslide defeat

Putin: bwahahaha!

----

In other words, it's also his attempt to bait sane responsible people into reassuring everyone that, ok maybe there was tampering in 2016, but it can't happen again in 2020. However, in 2020, sane responsible people are aware of and are calling out nonstop efforts by Individual 1 to tamper with the election. So this year it's a far less effective line of attack to proactively legitimize a rigged election.

Same playbook as last time, but we've made a few adjustments at halftime to keep it from getting downfield in the second half