John Dean: If the election is not resolved Speaker Pelosi becomes acting president.

[Dennis Donovan]

Link to tweet

John W. Dean @JohnWDean

This is a man who thinks he will remain president if there is no election. He is wrong. His term ends Jan. 20, 2021. If the election is not resolved Speaker Pelosi becomes acting president. Donald is ignorant. His ignorance may finally catch him on Jan. 20, 2021!

NBC News @NBCNews

Reporter: "Win, lose or draw in this election, will you commit here today for a peaceful transferal of power after the election?"

President Trump: "We're going to have to see what happens."

Embedded video

8:24 PM · Sep 23, 2020

Let's hope the SCOTUS doesn't jump in first...

[pdxflyboy]

1. Yup Dennis, I hear ya. NT

[Bayard]

2. Ohhh.... haven't heard anyone bring that up yet

Can you imagine the heads exploding?

[Stuart G]

3. John Dean ought to know...K and R Thanks for posting..no text.

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. That's what I've been saying- we either get President Biden, or we get President Pelosi

SCOTUS has no jurisdiction over the processes of congress, so if Pelosi can stall or delay a vote in the house (if it gets that far) then she will become President on Jan. 20

[DrToast]

8. Congress has to approve the electors?

Is that the deal?

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. On Jan. 6 a joint session certifies the electoral votes

If a state sends both Biden and Trump slates of electors, or there are objections about the acceptability of a slate, or a slate is excluded and a candidate does not get a majority of electors, that’s where it gets complicated.

In those cases, the House is supposed to vote, with each state getting one vote. Right now, 26 states have a GOP majority delegation, even though Dems have more seats. If that process isn’t completed by Jan. 20, then the Speaker of the house becomes acting president.

[DrToast]

10. Okay, I guess I don't share John Dean's optimism then

If the SCOTUS is going to fix the election for Trump, then they certainly will do it on schedule, before Pelosi becomes President.

But I'm not convinced SCOTUS will do something like that, anyway.

I think this is mostly bluster by Trump. I'm not even sure if he'd have support of Congress to contest the election in the way he's describing.

[Fiendish Thingy]

12. Trump would have to litigate all the way to the Supreme Court of each state he hopes to flip

Before SCOTUS could get involved.

The way things are looking, he’d have to flip two, maybe three Rust Belt states to win, assuming he gets FL and NC.

[DrToast]

13. That's a good point on each state

That’s why it would help to beat him as badly as possible.

[Sogo]

5. Thanks for posting this.

I had read that somewhere else and posted as such in another thread earlier today.

I'm glad that someone with more understanding than I have is pointing this out.....

[bdamomma]

6. his ass will be thrown out

Nancy will see to that.

[Illumination]

23. Deservingly so, but also lock up that big fat a**!...

[lastlib]

27. He can either walk it out politely on Jan. 20...

Or We The People will DRAG it out--IMpolitely.

Shitmonkey is pinning his hopes on the Supreme Court "fixing" things for him. I wonder if John Roberts, Alito, and Goresuck want to go down in history as the dunderheaded ball-lickers who stole a national election for the presidency for a fascist. Clarence PubicHair is comatose, so he won't notice, and BeerBoy will be too hung-over to care; and his new cultist appointee will be standing in line behind Hope to fellate donnie.

[mjvpi]

34. Roberts is already set up for history to show him responsible for one of the worst SC decisions.....

....... of all time in Citizens United. That decision, in no small part, got us where we are today. Will he want his name forever tied to the first hostel take over of the United States? It is a bad thing when we are looking to Judge Roberts to be the calm middle. We can only hope.

[Mme. Defarge]

7. I do not assume that it is a given

that even a “right- leaning” SC would decide in favor of Trump if his claims of an illegitimate outcome were spurious.

[grantcart]

14. It's not. Trump will try and force Republican states to appoint electors

The electoral college will vote and decide the next President before the end of the term.

[Cha]

11. Rt!

[Fla Dem]

15. And at that point, Acting President Pelosi will order the WH guards to escort

Mr. Trump from the WH premises.

[MontanaMama]

24. And they can throw his big screen tv,

his stash of adderall, and any leftover hamberders at his taxi on the way out. Let the fumigation begin!

[Gore1FL]

16. If there is no election Pelosi's term will have had expired, too.

It won't be her. It would be the President pro tempore Chuck Grassley, unless Democrats take the Senate which they cannot without an election.

[Salviati]

17. No. Her election is a State matter.

And the new term in congress starts before the term of president ends.

[Chicago1980]

19. She'd have to be re-elected as speaker though...

New congress...

[Sucha NastyWoman]

20. Sounds right to me.

[Gore1FL]

22. But if her term is over, her term is over.

There would be no house because there was no election. They only last 2 years. If the premise is no election, we have no house and only have 2/3 of the senate to work with.

[patphil]

26. That would be true if California didn't have an election.

I kinda think they will.

[Gore1FL]

28. But the premise is no election. nt

[Salviati]

32. The question of whether California has an election is an issue for California.

trump has zero control over that.

[Gore1FL]

35. Nonetheless,the premise is "No election."

If you want to start a thread on a different scenario, please feel free. My commentary would be different.

However, in the scenario presented, my outcome is correct.

[we can do it]

39. All states will have their elections drump can't stop it.

[Gore1FL]

40. The stated premise of the theoretical argument was no election.

That environment is where my statement resides.

We can talk about other theoretical situations, sure, but I confined myself to the one present in the OP.

[OhNo-Really]

18. Shhhhh ! We always show our hand 😢

[Illumination]

21. WHAT A TOTAL FOOL! Or I guess you could say loser & sucker, etc. etc.!

[patphil]

25. John Dean is correct.

[NotASurfer]

29. As an insurance policy, flip the Senate too

That'd add President pro tem of the Senate, next in line in order of Presidential succession, in case something happens to Speaker Pelosi. Always good to have the backup plan in place.

[tritsofme]

30. That only happens if the Senate splits 50-50, and it is somehow determined that Pence cannot break

the tie.

If there are contingent elections, and the House cannot resolve the presidential race, the vice president chosen by the Senate would become acting president.

[Duppers]

31. Question: IF tRump

Ignores a rightfully elected president, Biden, why would he vacate the office for Nancy Pelosi?

Or anyone else?

[ecstatic]

37. Exactly. Either he's kicked the f*ck out on 1/20/20,

or we've transitioned into a full blown dictatorship.

tRump shouldn't assume that the secret service would go along with his bullshit. If they'd take a bullet for him then certainly they'd take a bullet for the country.

Just putting that out there....

[eleny]

33. Then he can be taken into custody

If not by Feds then by states or cities.

[UTUSN]

36. K&R

[onenote]

38. Even if its disputed, it will be resolved before January 20, 2021.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

41. Shhhhhhhhhhh!

Don't tell him that.