After 3 more years Trump will have to remain president ...

[Kablooie]

For his own safety.

He will have committed so many international crimes and be hated by so much of the world that he would be in constant danger.

While he’s president he can wield the military against anyone that opposes him but as an ordinary citizen he loses that power.

They have 3 more years to reconfigure the government so he can remain in power and I’ll bet many are hard at work on it right now.

[markodochartaigh]

1. It's a situation not unique to the US.

Putin and at least one Middle Eastern leader immediately spring to mind.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. Nonsense

He will be gone on January 20, 2029, if not sooner.

Just because you can imagine something and type it on the internet doesn’t make that thing plausible, possible or probable.

[FoxNewsSucks]

3. It's not "nonsense"

Last edited Sat Jan 3, 2026, 10:43 PM - Edit history (1)

Regardless of how probable or improbable it might be, those who would benefit are certainly working on it. Why wouldn't they be?

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. Who is "working" on it?

Trump himself has admitted he must, and will, leave office at the end of this term.

[FoxNewsSucks]

5. tRump's useful to a lot of scumbags and grifters.

republicans, Putin, his family.

[Kablooie]

6. And we all know how reliable his statements are.

In fact since he said this makes it only more likely that he will try hard to stay on.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. Nonsense. Nt

[PatSeg]

12. Exactly, can't trust a word he says

However, I don't think he can last another three years physically or mentally.

[Kablooie]

7. Granted, he may kick the bucket...

But with his diet of McDonalds and KFC he may live to 110. Everyone knows their chemicals kill any foreign invader to the body.

[Mister Ed]

9. January 6th, 2021.

On that date, Trump and his supporters proved that they would not allow Trump to leave office just because the law required it.

[Fiendish Thingy]

10. January 20, 2029

A new president and vice president, neither named Trump, will be sworn in, whether Trump or his supporters like it or not, just like on January 20, 2021.

Inauguration is at noon that day- right in the middle of Donnie’s nap time.

[Mister Ed]

11. Most likely so.

But given MAGA's now-proven willingness to resort to crime and violence to thwart the lawful and orderly transfer of power, I'd say that the concerns expressed by the OP should not be dismissed as mere "nonsense".

January 6 was a slapdash, impromptu affair. Rather uncharacteristic for the GOP, who, it's often noted, play the long game with great tenacity and great success. Are there really no planners within the GOP who are determined to retain power through fair means or foul? None who are willing, for example, to organize voter suppression to tip the scales their way? None who are willing to resort to some sort of skullduggery even more sinister?

Vigilance, and not complacency, may be what is required to help ensure that the most likely and most desired outcome - an orderly transfer of power - is what we see on January 20, 2029.

[Fiendish Thingy]

13. Of course there will be plenty of electoral ratfuckery and shenanigans

But the bottom line is that the states still control their elections, and the majority of swing states have Democratic governors, secretaries of state or both.

Unless there there is a razor sharp margin in a deciding state, like FL in 2000 or GA in 2020, I don’t think the courts will have a role in deciding the winner in 2028, and Trump won’t be on the ballot in any case. (SCOTUS will not rule that 2=3)

So, that leaves a military coup as the only path to Trump staying in power past the end of this term.

That would take thousands of members of the armed forces committing treason after the new president not named Trump is sworn in on January 20, 2029, and refusing to recognize the new president as commander in chief, while the rest of the military does.

Then what happens?

As I said before, all theories and speculation that Trump will remain in power after the end of this term are nonsense.

Utter nonsense.

Just because something can be imagined, and typed on the internet, does not make that thing possible, plausible or probable.

[Mister Ed]

14. Why roll out the tanks and stage a military coup if a soft coup can be organized?

It may be entirely possible for the GOP to achieve a nominal, official victory through such ratfuckery and shenanigans as you mention. In that event, the military would be duty-bound to support the official winner. To do otherwise would be treason.

It's true that states run their own elections - but only until and unless they are overruled by a corrupt, partisan Supreme Court, as happened with Florida in 2000 or Colorado in 2024. In any event, it's unlikely that any state has the resources to cope with ratfuckery on the scope and scale that modern technology potentially presents to such bad actors as Putin or Musk, among many others.

I continue to agree that an orderly and lawful transition of power is the thing most likely to occur on January 20, 2029. I also doubt that Trump's health will allow him to serve until that date. That would certainly render moot any question of whether he could be elected to a third term.

However, the GOP has shown us clearly that there is nothing they won't do to gain and hold power. It would surprise me greatly if there is no one spitballing contingency plans for an election that doesn't seem to be going their way. Indeed, it's possible, plausible, and even probable that some in the present administration are entertaining such thoughts. Simply typing the word "nonsense" over and over again on the internet doesn't automatically render that scenario impossible, implausible or improbable.

[Fiendish Thingy]

15. "Nonsense" is the most appropriate, succinct response to logic-free, fear based Doomerism

For example, the 2024 Colorado SOCTUS ruling was absolutely the correct decision, and it was unanimous and bipartisan . It wasn’t a ruling on disqualification under the 14th Amendment, it was a ruling on the jurisdiction of a state court to disqualify candidates for federal offices.

The question no one seems to want to ask is, “why didn’t the plaintiffs refile their case in a federal court”, as the ruling required?

The Dems will retake the House in 2026, despite gerrymandering and voter suppression. If the Trump-induced economic misery continues to worsen, the Senate just might be in play as well.

In 2028, The Dems will almost certainly nominate a straight white male not named Shapiro or Newsom, and he will win in a landslide, especially if JD Vance is the Republican nominee. No amount of Peter Thiel dollars or ratfuckery will prevent that outcome. Musk couldn’t even manipulate a win in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race this year.

Universal suffering across races, regions and socioeconomic levels has a way of unifying folks.

[Mister Ed]

16. Nonsense.

Quite a clever and compelling rhetorical device I've learned today.

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. I guess we'll have to wait until November to find out which of us is the sensible one.

Both this November and again in 2028.

See you then!

[Mister Ed]

18. We've already agreed that the most likely outcome will be peaceful post-election transfers of power.

We can both congratulate ourselves on being eminently sensible.