John Dean-Trump plans to use the nuclear option to blow up the EC

[Catherine Vincent]

Link to tweet

[TwilightZone]

1. No.

There are many more obvious explanations including that he doesn't believe he lost and he's an obstinate child.

Love John Dean, but he's way off the mark here. Trump's nonsense is going nowhere.

[soothsayer]

3. This

[getagrip_already]

10. or he is trying to rake in cash for his defense and retirement funds......

The gullible suckers still have coins to grift...

[TwilightZone]

14. Yep.

That's as likely as anything. Probably the most likely.

[ananda]

19. Bingo

Trump only does anything to help himself.

[StarfishSaver]

44. I'm surprised at this. John Dean is usually more on point than this

I agree with you - I think he's wrong.

[pbmus]

2. Ridiculous

[exboyfil]

4. One state maybe

Three out of four states is not going to happen.

[Eid Ma Clack Shaw]

16. Any state that threatens to do that needs to be told it would be starved entirely of federal funding

There are some things so dangerous that retaliation is necessary.

Apparently these red-run states are completely self sufficient, so I’m sure its people wouldn’t notice a difference anyway.

[stopdiggin]

31. you forgot your sarcasm thingie

fixed it for you!

----- -----

[StarfishSaver]

46. Exactly

This would only work if he went after one, maybe two states. It won't work in multiple states across the country.

And he would have to thread a needle to get it exactly to a 269-269 tie, the only way it would go to the House.

[doc03]

5. How does he have the votes in the House? Besides that it will start a civil war and it should. nt

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. Each state gets one vote...

[treestar]

55. Seems that would mirror the EC

Within the state delegations, they'd have to agree, and to put it up to vote should result in their going to the same candidate as the EC winner for the state.

on second thought, one vote each could favor Dump for getting more states, even if together they have fewer EV. So this system really screws over larger states.

[LeftInTX]

60. The majority party of each state will vote.

So states that Biden won, would lose in the one vote per state scheme...Georgia for example...

[treestar]

65. Yes it would make it true like when Deplorables

boast the Dotard won "more states" which doesn't matter in the EC, as you can win more states but have fewer electoral votes.

Per the CNN map, each would have 23 states right now. And likely AK and NC go to Dotard, say GA and AZ go to Biden and it would be a tie!

https://edition.cnn.com/election/2020/results/president

This is even more unjust to the bigger population states.

[Statistical]

11. because weirdly the house votes by state delegations

in a Presidential race where no candidate has 270 votes. Democrats have more reps in the house but Republicans control more states (26 to 23 with one tie).

Still the article is nonsense. Biden will have >270 EV and become the next President. Even if Dumpy could disrupt one state he would need to disrupt three and that isn't going to happen.

Just more doom porn like we have seen for a year now in order to make ad revenue.

[Rice4VP]

37. Well Biden currently has 279 so this is irrelevant

[groundloop]

50. And very soon will have 306.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

61. He won't have more than 270 if some states don't certify.

Take Wisconsin for example. We have insane Republicans in charge of both chambers. If they vote to not certify the election, then our electors don't get seated and our electoral votes don't count. If they can do that in a couple state, they could get Biden below 270 which throws it to the House. I don't think it will happen, but my wife is pretty sure that's what he's trying right now and she was the top score in her Con Law class in law school, so she knows the scenarios.

[Statistical]

63. If by some you mean three or more then sure.

In most states it isn't up the legislature it is up to the SoS or someone named already by legislation.

My point is that with 306 EV it would require the fuckery of multiple states to push Biden below 270. I know after four years everyone is addicted to doom porn but none of this will happen.

Biden will be the 46th President of the United States.

[Crunchy Frog]

13. Because they vote as delegations rather than individual House members.

[getagrip_already]

17. state legislatures choose a rep....

And the gop controls 26 or 27 of them.

But pelosi has a few procedural tricks she can play to thwart any vote.

But that gambit's time has passed. If it were one state he was behind by, he might be able to pull it off. But he isn't going to get states to stick their necks out that far when he is so far behind.

[Rice4VP]

38. Exactly

[2naSalit]

42. That scenario would be fine with him.

[Eliot Rosewater]

6. 75 million patriots need to make it PAINFULLY CLEAR such an act will result in

endless chaos and a total destruction of the country.

[doc03]

18. I can't imagine what would happen if he would pull something like that

every city in this country would be on fire.

[misanthrope]

7. What Dean is missing

Trump thinks the Electoral College is a physical campus, like a standard university and he thinks the "nuclear option" involves bombs like those he wants to use on hurricanes.

[Eliot Rosewater]

12. When they tell him the worst that could happen is civil war and millions dead, he will jump at

the chance.

Whether it is remotely possible or not.

[onetexan]

22. LOL

[Dagstead Bumwood]

41. Right, so he won't go near the EC

unless he thinks he can walk in on some cheerleaders changing.

[beachbumbob]

9. More hysteria and nonsense

[Alhena]

15. This alone seems to kill this idea in the cradle - the Rep. PA Senate won't do it ... link

Link to tweet

Any state where this is even an issue has a LOT of Democrats, and it would be political suicide for their legislature to even try to do this.

[Eliot Rosewater]

21. Fingers crossed. As long as we all agree he would not hesitate for one second

TO attempt this...

[Fiendish Thingy]

30. Exactly. So, without the complicity of the PA legislature, what state(s) will he flip? Nt

[2naSalit]

47. Well they can't because they would have had to...

Make that decision BEFORE the election, they can't change the rules after the election according to state law.

[EndlessWire]

57. Why is this guy

talking as if it is possible? Because it is. Not saying it isn't possible. He's saying his people won't do it. Maybe it's far fetched, but I have learned not to trust any Repub.

And what did Bannon say? He said cut the heads off dissenters in order to get the rest in line. So, while it probably won't happen, we need to be vigilant all the way to January. Stand behind Biden/Harris and keep watch.

[Windy City Charlie]

23. If he does this

Might as well get rid of the Electoral College for good. Not sure the Republicans really want that.

[arlyellowdog]

24. Why would any state do that?

These state representatives need to be re-elected. Why would they totally screw over the voters in their states for drumph?

[TheRealNorth]

40. Because the state reps are safe in gerrymandered districts

[liberalla]

25. This doesn't sound so far fetched to me. Trump is desperate and terrified and

will consider anything to save his bacon. I don't think he'll be successful, but he is probably considering it and a number of other hard-to-imagine possibilities.

In his desperate anxious state, he'll be ineffective at planning and/or executing anything. IMO.

[liberalla]

29. Adding this:

The story isn't whether it's possible or likely---the story is that he's thinking of attempting it... that he would want to do this. Again IMO.

[Takket]

26. this is paranoid nonsence.

[AllyCat]

27. So he blows up the EC. Biden has still won the popular vote.

[sarisataka]

39. And what does the popular vote matter

Without the EC?

[John Ludi]

28. The Wa Po article that Dean

had in his tweet illustrated a few roadblocks to this, but, also, buried in the responses was a link to THIS article:

[link:https://www.lawfareblog.com/state-legislatures-cant-ignore-popular-vote-appointing-electors|

It would be a LONG shot and I doubt that Trump and his ambulance chaser-level lawyers would be able to focus long enough to get anywhere near pulling it off. That being said, it's good to monitor even THIS implausibility. You never know with that scumbag.

[totodeinhere]

32. That might be theoretically possible, but I rate the chances of it actually happening

at close to zero. I think we have more important things to worry about right now like trying to win those two Senate seats in Georgia.

[pbmus]

49. Double BINGO...

[octoberlib]

33. This is bullshit. Google faithless electors. Not gonna happen.

[bullimiami]

34. probably 37 EV across 4 states need to be corrupted to get Biden back under 270. realistic?

[Orangepeel]

35. some asshole like Gohmert IS going to object when the votes are counted

I don't know if a senator will join, but I think it is more likely than not. Then each chamber goes off to deliberate. I *think* each person votes separately on whether to consider the objection (rather than as a state delegation), but I'm not completely sure about that.

[PSPS]

36. I've seen this "prediction" before but it will never happen. The country wouldn't stand for it.

[Thekaspervote]

43. That's really irresponsible of John dean to say that!

There have been some really good articles from constitutional lawyers that show he can’t do that

[Saboburns]

45. Oh I think It's about 50/50 right now that they will try this.

It's all about how big a percentage of the electorate they can rile up. It's why only about 5 out of around 250 GOP Congress critters have NOT publicly congratulated Biden/Harris. They are waiting a few days to see which way the wind blows. And I think that the next 2 weeks will be definitive whether they try this gambit or not.

But right now, it's possible they will.

[Kaleva]

48. Assumes Repubs in the state legislature would go along with the scheme & there's no evidence of that

[roamer65]

51. Any state legislature that tries it will start a civil war.

[KentuckyWoman]

52. He can try but America has already pivoted.

At some point the secret service will haul his ass outside the big beautiful walls around the White House.

[Progressive Jones]

53. I think Mr. Dean is just putting this out there with educational intent. nt

[Celerity]

54. Even if they did manage to get to the House, at that point Pelosi will invoke Article 1, Section 5

powers and only seat Democrats, and temporarily refuse to seat some Rethugs (most likely the ones feom states who are sending the bogus set of electors, plus any others on an 'as needed' basis.)

We get enough Dems seated so we have control of 26 (or more) state delegations, elect Biden, and then seat the rest of the Rethugs.

If the 269-269 tie had occurred from the actual popular vote and not from state legislative body shenanigans, she still could have done this, but that would risk civil war. Blocking an attempt (at usurping the POTUS via Red RW state legislative bodies) like this would not cause civil war IMHO.

[Sogo]

56. Thanks for this explanation of the options Nancy has.

I KNEW she must know what she's talking about when she said the other day they "were ready" if it gets bumped into the House.


I can exhale now....

[TheRealNorth]

58. I thought about that

but I would bet the Supreme Court would rule against that.

[steve2470]

59. Normally I agree with John Dean and respect him...

This time, John, I think you're off the mark. I cannot see the American people standing for this kind of insane coup d'etat, and if this kind of insane shenanigans were afoot, I think we would have heard of it by now.

No, he won't concede because of: 1- his fragile ego; 2- his need to bilk his supporters out of "legal defense money" and 3- to build the stab-in-the-back narrative so he or one of his kids can win in 2024.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

62. Depends what the state law is

Most base the number of electors on the vote of their citizens. The legislatures can change the law but I doubt they can make it retroactive.

[crickets]

64. Why give trump or his cronies any new ideas? 🤦‍♀️