Some of the president's opponents fear that he'll refuse to leave the White House if he loses....

[BigmanPigman]

"Trump Could Still Break Democracy’s Biggest Norm
Some of the president’s opponents fear that he’ll refuse to leave the White House if he loses the election. Here’s why."
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/when-does-trump-leave-white-house/613060/

"There’s no assurance that Trump will accept the validity of the election results. He’s already described mail-in voting as a plot to steal the election."
"...on Wednesday, Biden predicted that the military might be called on to evict Trump if it came to that—and that it would willingly comply. “I am absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch,” Biden said.

"If Biden were to notch a narrow victory, Trump could look to contest the results and claim he’d actually won. He could put the military and other tools of presidential power in an awkward spot, pressuring them to pick sides and untangle competing claims about who won. A supine Justice Department led by Attorney General William Barr might bolster Trump’s claims by putting out statements that the vote was tainted."
The potential for chaos exposes the frailties of an electoral tradition that depends on the goodwill of the two candidates involved. "

"...an informal bipartisan group called the Transition Integrity Project that is looking to ensure the election and potential transition go smoothly. More than 60 people are involved, including former governors and Cabinet secretaries. They’re planning to meet on Zoom in the next few weeks and hold “tabletop” exercises meant to think through various scenarios: a narrow Trump defeat, a clear Trump victory, and a resounding Biden victory among them. They’ll game out what might happen if Trump and his supporters use social media to intimidate the election workers tallying votes, or if he refuses to leave in the event of defeat, among other possibilities,participants told me."

[genxlib]

1. I'm thinking...

Tear gas and rubber bullets would be appropriate

[procon]

2. Why would the military be involved?

There are all kinds of laws prohibiting their domestic use against civilians. We already have the Park Police and also the Secret Service officers to protect the legitimate president, and once he's sworn in, Biden is the only president we have.

Trump can be frog marched out of the WH as a trespasser and a potential threat to the safety of the president. That should play well on the TV news as the closing chapter of the Trump fiasco.

[Chainfire]

3. I see many possible scenarios

By election day, Trump may have had enough and would be happy to have the burden lifted from his shoulders. As well as actually being physically sick and tired, I think that Trump is sick and tired of playing President. He may believe that the American people do not deserve him any more. Trump's physical condition, which seems to be deteriorating daily, may end up in Trump leaving before he is trounced in an election. By election night, he may be greatly relieved to leave peacefully.

I also could see a situation in a very close election where the results could be delayed for a month or more, with anger on both sides growing daily, and ending up in the Supreme Court where anything might happen and one side or the other being left feeling cheated and being left mad a hell.

If Trump lost and, and was determined to retain power, and was able to to use his "transition" time to convince his core that he had the election stolen from him, he could play out his final days in starting a civil war, a götterdämmerung fit for a great martyr. There are a lot of men and women with guns that would see themselves as great patriots for keeping their rightful king in power.

We may be witnesses to a historical low point in American history or a routine transition of power. In any case, the next few months should not be boring.

[marie999]

4. I do not have any doubt that Trump will quietly leave The White House.

He will bitch and moan from the time the election is over until Biden takes the oath of office, but he will leave. Shortly before Biden is sworn in, the Secret Service will have explained to him in simple words exactly what they would do if he didn't leave.

[onetexan]

6. +1 K&R

[MiniMe]

5. He'll have 2 months to get used to the idea he is leaving

My guess is he will send Barron and Melania back to NY early

[raccoon]

7. Then have some LEO tear gas him, taze him, and bodily remove his ass. Nt

[Skittles]

8. he will leave for a golf game

[lagomorph777]

9. Hamberder embargo

Beseige the White House and starve him out.

[calimary]

10. If he can turn it all ugly, he will.