Biden #46... or #47?

[Silent3]

As far as I'm concerned this is a toss-up.

On one hand, it's hard to imagine Trump giving up and admitting defeat at all, even if he has to be dragged out of the Whitehouse kicking and screaming.

On the other hand, one way to limit narcissistic injury is to try to pretend that what you have to do is what you want to do.

By resigning, Trump would put his exit from the Whitehouse on his time schedule, not somebody else's. Trump can concoct a brave cover story (okay, transparently pathetic, but meant to be taken as brave), à la half-term governor Sarah Palin, about how he can do the best for the American People in the private sector, fighting for the MAGAts, blah, blah, blah.

Which all, of course, comes with the likely benefit of a Pence pardon that at least gets him out of federal legal trouble.

[WheelWalker]

1. Fair question. Leaning 47.

On edit: It'll be Putin's call.

[DonaldsRump]

2. It's not out of the question, the more I think about it.

One point on this phrase: "Pence pardon that at least gets him out of federal legal trouble." It should be modified to read "federal criminal legal trouble." A Presidential pardon covers only federal crimes, but does NOT cover state crimes OR federal/state civil actions.

Fatso is going to be tied up in so much civil litigation, both state and federal, that this alone will hound him. It's what happened to Nixon, and it was years before he got through. Whatever bad Nixon did, Trump has done it a million times over, so I expect that this to be something he will never get out of.

[niyad]

3. Or 48? Yes, my mind went there.

[roamer65]

4. Good question.

About a 50-50 shot between the both I think.

Pence may be the shortest presidential occupancy since William Henry Harrison.

[LakeArenal]

5. 46.

[Bleacher Creature]

6. 47

A pardon won't save Trump from NYS, but it's still takes a lot off his plate in terms of his legal defense.

Add to that the fact that he won't want to be involved in the transfer of power, and I'm betting on that putting it over the top.

[Wounded Bear]

8. His plan seems to be to move to FL and fight extradition...

[not_the_one]

11. Or flee to Saudi Arabia, where there is NO extradition.

n/t

[Patterson]

12. I can't see that working within the US.

[Wounded Bear]

13. Working so far for the Wisconsin terrorist kid hiding in Illionois...

It does slow the process down by throwing lawyers into the mix, and that is something that Trump is an expert at. Probably the only thing he's good at, using the courts to his advantage.

[sarcasmo]

14. Don't rule out a Trump Tower Moscow address.

[RockRaven]

7. Why trust Pence to pardon him when he can just do it himself?

Which is a heavier lift, convincing Trump that a self-pardon won't hold up to a 6-3 SCOTUS with five hard right ideologues plus one very conservative chief justice, or convincing Trump that Pence is trustworthy to follow through on issuing the pardon even though doing so would be political suicide and historically infamous for Pence?

I think it is the latter.

Trump won't resign, he'll self pardon instead.

[Happy Hoosier]

9. He may try pardoning himself.

But that‘s likely risky. The resign in exchange for a Pence pardon would be the smart move. But I doubt Trump‘s Ego could take that.

[Renew Deal]

10. I am also not convinced that Trump stays if he loses.

50-50