Could Trump end up going quietly? Here are 5 ways that might happen.

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

No other human being has had a closer-up view of President Trump’s corrupt machinations than Michael Cohen, so when Trump’s former fixer says Trump won’t give up power even if he loses reelection, it’s worth entertaining.

“There will never be a peaceful transition of power under Donald J. Trump,” Cohen told MSNBC on Sunday, adding that Trump is desperate to retain the immunities he enjoys from ongoing legal threats, including possible prosecution for tax crimes.

We already know Trump hopes to prematurely declare himself winner while invalidating millions of mail ballots, which could unleash a sustained post-election struggle.

But if you squint, you can discern various scenarios in which Trump ends up going quietly — or relatively so. Presuming for now that Joe Biden wins, here are five such possibilities:

[soothsayer]

1. Cursed paywall!

I’ll make up 5:

1) Late November 3, he flees to Moscow, forever

2) November 4, he eats one of the Novochokolates Putin sends him as “comfort food”

3) He resigns to do the pardon trick

4) His Covid flares up and takes him out

5) Aliens abduct him

[Mike 03]

5. Here's a cheat sheet:

1. Biden wins by a landslide
2. Biden wins Florida on election night
3. Biden wins Arizona and runs strong in the Rust Belt
4. Vote-by-mail goes well for Biden in Pennsylvania
5. Fox News behaves responsibly

[PatSeg]

19. #5 - Yes I think Fox News

will succumb to reality. For them, there has to be life after Trump, no point in hanging on to a lost cause.

[Drunken Irishman]

21. FOX News handles election night okay from what I remember.

I think they do an okay job there and don't let their biases consume the actual reporting. They may have Republicans on to talk about things but when it comes to the reporting and state calls, they've been pretty good the last few cycles.

I know in 2012, FOX News was the first to call Ohio for Obama. Rove went crazy saying Romney still could win, which kept Romney from conceding right away (Rove called the campaign and told them not to). But to kind of shut Rove up, Megyn Kelly walked back to the election decision room and interviewed one of the guys who determined to call it and it all felt on the up and up.

Of course, that was 2012, a while ago...

[PatSeg]

22. Oh yes, I remember that about Rove in 2012

He honestly thought republicans had pulled off the same thing in 2012 that he'd done in 2004 in Ohio.

Yes, there are times when Fox actually is more about the news than the entertainment. On election night, there is no point in hyping the propaganda, as it will no longer change the outcome. Meanwhile, this is Fox News minus Roger Ailes, slightly more credible.

[The_Counsel]

16. Funny Thing Is I've Always Thought Your Option #3 Was a Possibility

Trump has to see this out. He and his campaign still actually believe they can win this thing and, sadly, the numbers do bear this out.

But if he loses, I wouldn't put it past him to have already made a deal with Pence:

- Trump resigns in November/December, stating that the people have spoken and he's simply tired of doing this. Besides: COVID.

- Pence immediately pardons the Orange Douche "for the good of the nation" or whatever

- President Biden takes over on January 20 unable to do anything about it--Libs are "owned" one last time. Or are they?

[TwilightZone]

2. It's all bluff and bluster. At heart, he's a complete coward.

It'll be all over but the whining, especially if it's a blowout. If he loses big, no one outside of his rabid base is going to care what he says.

[liberal N proud]

3. Trump has only one plan in life

Bully everyone into submission. Those who will not submit get discredited or retaliation.

He cannot negotiate anything, it is just bully your way to get what you want.

He discredits everyone and everything he cannot control. He has instilled fear into those who submit by using the others as example. Post election will be very scary time for America

[Binkie The Clown]

4. Paywall. Can't read it. nt

[SharonClark]

13. I've gotten around some paywalls by googling the title instead of using a link.

I didn't face a paywall with this link, but always do with the Wall Street Journal.

[Turbineguy]

6. Hopefully Putin will invite him over

for a nice cup of tea.

[soothsayer]

12. And a box of novochokolates

[The Magistrate]

7. I Expect A Good Deal Of Bluster, Sir

Much thunder, much lightning --- no rain.

I am looking forward to the speech in which the country is denounced as unworthy of his magnificence, and deserving the Socialist hell it has loosed upon itself by rejecting the Messiah of Mar a Lago. Which is probably where it will be delivered....

[NCDem47]

8. I just posted over on another thread...

I'm now thinking when Trump looses, he'll cut and run. He'll have NO tolereance for sticking around for a transition. Resign, delegate to Pence, and get a pardon to inoculate against Federal crimes. He won't care about his long-term reputation. He'll be dead in a few years. His only "legacy" is what he hears and sees while he is alive.

[Silent3]

11. The only reason I can see Trump hanging around is if Putin offers to bail him out...

...of financial trouble, and maybe offer sanctuary, in return for hanging around to cause maximum chaos.

Trump has likely already sold us out on our most important national security secrets.

[PatSeg]

20. I don't think Putin will have any more use

for Trump after the election. Actually, I think he's already done with him. Trump no longer serves any useful purpose and probably has become more of a liability than an asset. Putin wanted to sow chaos and uncertainty in our democracy - mission accomplished.

[TwilightZone]

14. I don't think he'll resign.

But I do think it's likely that he'll have very little to do with day-to-day operations after 11/3.

Not that he has much now.

[My Pet Orangutan]

9. Fatal cardiac infarction

- that would do the trick.

[SharonClark]

10. A lot of our concern for post-election disarray seems to be based on PA

and all the republican party shenanigans there. I have no doubt that despite a Biden blowout (fingers crossed), Trump will flail away and say "but PA" even as his supporters accept the results and walk away from him.

Thanks for sharing an article that is concise and to the point.

[world wide wally]

15. Lots of bluster...and then a resignation so Pence can pardon him legally.

[Blue Owl]

17. The shy tRump voters would really like that

The legions and legions of shy tRump voters...

[Towlie]

18. Florida will save the day! Florida! Florida! Yay, Florida!

Biden wins Florida on election night. Because Florida’s voting rules permit mail ballots to be counted well in advance of Election Day, an election night call here is likely.

This means avoiding a scenario in which Trump declares himself winner even as enormous numbers of mail ballots remain outstanding in key states. Since Trump has no plausible path without Florida, it would probably mean a winner is called on election night.

Also: Because Florida has had years of experience using mail balloting, a process often run by Republicans, it will be much harder to contest the result with “voter fraud” lies.

Indeed, Trump himself has praised Florida’s absentee balloting at “Safe and Secure,” because he thinks it will benefit him there (while claiming it’s fraudulent where he thinks it’ll hurt him). Given how corrupt this duality is, it would be poetic justice if this made it impossible for him to contest the results.

That last statement about making it impossible for him to contest the results seems a bit naive though. A man who can claim that we're "rounding the corner" in spite of record high daily cases can contest anything.