It is very possible the Trump presidency could end this way.

[shockey80]

When speaking about Trump we must remember these important facts.

1. Trump has an abnormal brain. He does not see the world or life like a normal person. He does not care about right or wrong, truth or lies. Everything he does is based on winning and more importantly not losing. Nothing terrifies Trump more than losing. This is very important to remember.

2. Trump is emotionally retarded. That part of his brain stopped developing as a child. He is a 71 year old child.

3. During Trumps entire business career he repeated the same pattern over and over again. It never changed. When Trump sees a opportunity he will put on a show and bully his way in. If it goes well he will tell the world what a great job he did over and over again. Trump will destroy anyone who he sees as a threat to his new opportunity.

If he realizes things are going to fail Trump will come up with a plan to get out. HE will quit and claim a great victory. Then he will put all the blame on someone else for the failure. He has done this his entire life.

It is not a reach to believe Trump will repeat the same pattern with the presidency. Trump saw the presidency as a opportunity. Nothing more. At this time I do not believe Trump thinks his presidency is a failure. He still thinks he can get things done. Tax cuts, infrastructure are a couple of examples.

As his presidency fails and then the investigation closes in on him I believe Trump will put his plan into affect. He will realize he is going to lose. His son and son in law are in big trouble. Trump will be in trouble. I believe he will have a meeting with Pence and leaders of congress and offer to resign if Pence will pardon Trump and his family. Trump will save himself and his family and back stab everyone who worked for him.

Trump will then claim a great victory. He will tell the world about the great job he did. Then he will blame congress, the establishment for destroying his presidency. His family will be pardoned and people like Flynn and Manafort will go to prison.

If something like this happens it would make perfect sense.

[SweetieD]

1. I agree. He saw the presidency as a business opportunity. A way for him and his family to pay

off debts and make money.

Now the money thing is turning. Russia won't help him because he can't get sanctions lifted. His regular customers for big events at his resorts are starting to bail.

Trump's brand, the name he licenses all over the world, is becoming more of a liability than an asset.

If Trump believes that the presidency will cause an extreme economic hit to his brand and businesses, he may abandon the presidency. If he feels like he is reaching a tipping point where he can't recover from the loss. The money angle is key.

[oberliner]

13. It could have been massively succcesful for him in that regard

If he kept his mouth shut.

[Kleveland]

2. A sound supposition..

However, it must again be stated that he, if nothing else is predictably unpredictable.

He generates perpetual chaos in our Government.

A forward looking and optimistic point of view would be to state that beauty can arise out of chaos.

But then again, entropy dictates that artificially created order descends into chaos.

Oh, the paradox of reality, and mortality in this sphere of existence.

[Kablooie]

3. Yes this is how it will end.

And Trump will get away without any consequences.
He will get a full pardon so he will continue to golf, have adoring rallys and control his criminal activities freely.

[tblue37]

4. Schneiderman will still nail him on state charges, which Pence cannot pardon him for. nt

[Kablooie]

15. Oh yeah. Thanks for reminding me.

Trump really needs jail time so he can contemplate -- uh -- no, he can't contemplate, but he can sit and stare at the bars.

[Girard442]

5. This would be an endgame that leaves our democracy nominally intact.

There are others, like Trump ordering a nuclear strike, the military refuses to execute the order, and we have a coup.

[Flaleftist]

7. Perhaps it's time to consider new restrictions on launch orders.

Even if it's just for non-retaliatory nuclear strikes. Like it could also require the agreement of a certain number of cabinet members or senators.

[Hortensis]

6. It all makes perfect sense and may just go that way. There is

noise that Pence could go down with him, but... The Republican senate, though, would almost certainly avoid having a Republican president make huge history by going to prison.

Also, Rump could probably mount a defense based on mental disorder. Many professionals have stated he is clinically diagnosable.

My best guess, in fact, has been that he would be removed under the 25th Amendment, avoiding criminal trial either voluntarily, by making a deal to resign, or involuntarily.

Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

As for blanket pardons for everyone, it would be critically important for the Republicans to differentiate themselves from Rump's crowd by putting on a display of "seeking justice" and punishing the worst, mostly highly publicized. Some around Rum pare going to prison, and it could be that he wouldn't be in any position to negotiate pardons for his whole family, even if Kushner's crimes, for instance, weren't as extremely serious and unsweepable as they're starting to look.

[forgotmylogin]

8. The Rs don't *have* to run him again, do they?

It'd be cool if they'd put up a different candidate and make Trump either go away or spend his own money to run as an I.

[defacto7]

9. He and the fam will only get away with the federal crimes.

The state crimes will put them in jail and remove their assets.
Adding that he's cornered now no matter what direction he takes, what does that do to the end game? He's always had an out.. now there is none. What's he going to do? There's no previous Trumpian precedent for this.

[shockey80]

10. I must add this warning to my post.

It is clear the people who voted for Trump are not deep thinkers. Lol. It is clear trumps abnormal mind survived in the business world. The presidency is a unique place. A very sensitive, unpredictable powerful place. Trumps abnormal mind may have catastrophic results. Our fate may have already been sealed.

Trump voters may become infamous. They treated this election as a reality show. Trump knows how to run a business so he can do a good job as president. That is child like thinking.

[shockey80]

11. If Trump can get his tax cuts that may be enough for him to resign and claim victory.

He needs something where he can claim victory and then resign. He is planning ahead. The only thing Trumps plans ahead on is his self preservation. His image. Not losing.

[Dave Starsky]

16. He's still got a budget fight ahead of him.

His tax cuts were supposed to have been paid for by slashing health care for millions.

Be prepared for even more shocking daily shitshows once Congress comes back to work.

Trump has nowhere to go from here. He has destroyed his brand. He absolutely will not leave office until he is pulled kicking and screaming from it.

[Initech]

12. Remember how well that "winning" nonsense worked for Charlie Sheen?

Yeah it's kind of like that.

[Lil Missy]

14. ...