I was trying to figure out from White House reporters’ Twitter feeds if Donald Trump even went into the Oval Office on Monday. He had nothing on his schedule and he has not appeared on camera with any kind of statement since… when? Last Thursday or Friday, it’s all a blur. He was seen on a golf course on Saturday and Sunday, and he was photographed returning back to the White House. But his only statements, since Joe Biden became President-Elect, have been on Twitter, where he tweets out misinformation about illegal votes, etc. He still hasn’t conceded. He’s still threatening to sue every state that Biden won. But maybe he’s privately acknowledging that he lost:
President Trump has already told advisers he’s thinking about running for president again in 2024, two sources familiar with the conversations tell Axios.
Why it matters: This is the clearest indication yet that Trump understands he has lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden — even as the president continues to falsely insist that he is the true winner, that there has been election fraud and that his team will fight to the end in the courts.
Presidents are limited to serving two terms but they need not be consecutive. Officials with the Trump campaign and White House could not immediately be reached for comment.
Be smart: Aides advising Republicans who are likely to run in 2024 are dreading the prospect of a Trump run given the extraordinary sway he holds over millions of GOP voters. Even four years after leaving office, he could remain formidable in a Republican primary. That fact alone could freeze the ambitions, fundraising and staffing of individual candidates — and of the Republican National Committee as it seeks to regroup and move beyond Trump.
If it gets him to concede, I’m all for Trump telling himself he can run in 2024. I think he’ll find his power quite diminished very quickly though. For one thing, as soon as he becomes an ex-president, Twitter is gonna ban his ass. Secondly, he’s being sued or investigated in like a dozen cases. Third of all, he’ll be 78 years old in 2024. And Donald Trump is not a spry, sharp-as-a-tack senior whatsoever. He’s already deteriorated quite significantly over the past four years. I’m sure they’ll try to pump him full of steroids and Adderall, but there’s only so much that can be done at this point.
Meanwhile, Trump is making it clear that he’ll spend the transition firing everybody. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper wasn’t the reason why Trump lost the election, but you would think that from the terse public firing:
…Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2020
Also: Fox News has exited the Trumpian alternative-reality chat??
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto takes the rare step (for Fox) of cutting into Kayleigh McEnany's lie-filled press conference about the election.
"Unless she has more details to back that up, I can't in good countenance continue showing you this." pic.twitter.com/cBd6ASlV8H
— David Mack (@davidmackau) November 9, 2020
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
I’m just honestly terrified that someone who is actually intelligent will grab his playbook in 2024.
Correct, someone very astute is watching and taking notes. That is more dangerous than this man child.
I’ve already read several articles warning about this type of scenario and I feel like they are not wrong. Democrats and certainly everyone who believes in democracy should remain vigilant in protecting it. Democracy after all is a very fragile thing.
I’ve been thinking about that and I can’t imagine it will be that easy because a big part of Trumpism was Trump’s celebrity and flamboyantly terrible but magnetic personality. People worshipped the guy and I just can’t see some guy off the street, so to speak, having the same kind of impact. But what the F do I know, lol. Anything is possible.
Yes. This is absolutely something we need to be aware of. Trump wasn’t smart, and had no self discipline and outside of Barr, no one in the administration was really that horrible mix of intelligent and evil. It has become obvious that our democracy is fragile-and so much of what the POTUS has done in the past has been from a mix of norms and having some semblance of decency. Trump has really edified the loopholes that are there for someone who is willing to exploit them. Ugh.
Trump is unique in his mixture of tv stardom, pretend smart businessman and being a “billionaire” and his willingness to say outrageous racist cruel things. I think a lot of his base will not find a replacement for his special brand of demagoguery. Good. Hopefully he’ll be indicted in 2021.
What about Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity?Now that Trump opened the gate for the TV celebrity type candidate/president…
Am convinced he, with the support of Barr and Moscow Mitch, is going to start a violent up rising to steal the election in his favour. What has happened to GOP to make them a party of tin pot wannabe autocrats who will do ANYTHING to stay in power. And why are the rest of the party so silent?
As for 2024, he’s not the Trump who will run but Nagini – she wants the Presidency so so so bad.However I think she and Jr will tear each other apart for that opportunity.
Here in the UK we have taken inspiration from Biden’s win and are now calling for Boris to be sacked and his tories out of gov. Once Brexit bites in the new year there WILL be another General Election in the summer with Labour winning. Kier Starmer is proving to be the strong and vocal opposition to the gov that his predecessor lack the backbone to be. PMQs is fire!
Yeah I’m more worried about finalizing THIS election than 2024. One thing at a time. I don’t like recent developments at all.
Apparently the GOP is staying quiet due to the seats that are still up for grabs – they want republican power in the senate and are scared Trump may not help them in January. There comes a time when country is first and party second.
The is a retiring congressman from Florida (can’t recall his name) he went on record stating he is not sure what the hold Trump has over the rest of the party but “books will be written about it”. I am sure a great number of books will be written as soon as he leaves the WH.
That’s what I was reading about McConnell – he’s toeing the line bc he wants the Senate and he needs Georgia for that. After the Georgia special elections he’ll…..I don’t know. Go back to obstructing the Democrats?
Well if they stay silent about what Trump and his cronies are doing then they should loose their senate seat in Jan – if they are so desperate to hang onto the Senate majority then they need to get the Orange Lenin to concede and keep his little mouth shut for the next 2 months.
He’s firing people now so he can do as much damage as he can not only to Joe’s win but to the workings of the gov – damage that with a GOP controlled Senate will be extremely difficult for the Dems to undo.
I’m kinda just left shell shocked that seasoned politicians, most who studied law and I am sure constitutional law, are allowing this to continue and do not care what the overall damage will be in the end. Now I am reading Biden is threatening legal action due to lack of transfer of power. It’s just crazy that we have gotten to this point. The damage they are allowing to be done I really think they will lament in the future. The burning of Rome has begun.
In response to the above comment about books being written about Trump and the Republicans.
The books title would be “Stupid is as stupid does” a Trumpian hold on the Republican Party.
That dead corpse, Moscow Mitch and his ilk will be surprised when people react the opposite of what they think will happen and vote those losers out in Georgia.
Perdue and Loeffler demanded the elections official in GA (a republican) to resign over the handling of the elections. He told them to go pound sand.
He did actually lose so many of us will go berserk if they try to pull a realistic coup. I am the most boring, white, privileged, suburban mom out there and i will riot til the end of my life if they do this.
On top of that, many many people did not vote which means those folks have no skin in the Trump game and will probably actually be outraged as well and may join us because they aren’t glued to Newsmax or OANN or their Facebook echo chambers all day.
For now, i am thrilled that most networks are now just looking towards Biden and his plans and ignoring the toddler throwing a tantrum in his crib.
He also wants to run so he can continue to fundraise. Grifters gonna grift.
I think there may be some pushback from the party over it -I know there are a lot of Republicans who see 2024 as a distinct possibility to take back the White House if Harris is the presidential candidate (including my moderate Republican governor, Larry Hogan), and they may not want to risk that with a Trump candidacy, especially if it results in another drawn out and long-winded primary battle.
I don’t get why Trump does have such a hold over his supporters. Its weird to me. Because he normalizes their racist beliefs? Because he makes them feel like victims and is promising to save them?
I think you nailed it, fund raising. I read his campaign is in debt and that is why he is now fundraising to pay for recounts.
Yup, apparently in his latest fundraising emails he is saying half the money raised will go to pay off campaign debt.
If I were a major donor I would want an investigation into what happened with the campaign finances. Remember he started fundraising almost as soon as he was in office. He raised a LOT of money over the past 4 years. How is the campaign in so much debt??
+1 on the fundraising. Plus somebody has got to pay the legal bills for those lawsuits that are allegedly coming his way in January 21st and he sure as hell doesn’t have the money for those personally
Double Comment
Yep. Honestly-it is like a cult. I had really hoped that once he was defeated the GOP would renounce a lot of what he embodied and revert to their old standards. But it appears that Trumpism may be a permanent stain-which would be okay except that he got 70 million votes. Clearly there are lots of people out there willing to overlook racism, greed, and promote anti-science and rational thinking.
Agreed.
I think Trump is doing this so he can grift and fleece his sheep. The campaign is in debt and he is in ENORMOUS debt.
McConnell is doing it to try and maintain control of the Senate so he can continue to do damage.
But I firmly believe that when all is said and done, nothing is stopping Biden from becoming President. Even without all the ridiculous shenanigans, Biden and Harris are well aware they have a LOT of work ahead of them and they came prepared.
I guess if there is one silver lining is that none of this is a surprise and that has given Biden’s team plenty of time to prepare and find work arounds until Trump is pried from the White House.
Also, I’m hearing Trump has been such a baby he hasn’t been doing any actual work since October. The less he’s doing the better. Keep him away from top secret information and the nuclear codes.
Wonder how much actual work he’s done the past 4 years, or in his life, for that matter (his hands are those of someone who has clearly never done manual labor).
Kasich claimed he was approached as a VP possibility in 2016, and was told he would actually be running things. I suspect a motley crew of his spawn/spawn-in-law and Miller have been calling the shots for a long time. Orange does not have the attention span – much less intellect – to do meaningful work.
Hmmmm, it may be tricky running for office from prison.
I hope that he does end up in prison, I don’t care if it’s plush – just enough to tarnish the name so none of his offspring can run for President again. They all have done their fair share of undermining not only the election process, but also helped bring about the downward spiral we are now witnessing.
I don’t care if he’s just under house arrest. What I want is for him to be banned from Twitter and other platforms for his lies.
You are completely right, Seraphina. I also dream of him being put away somewhere, anywhere, where he is SILENT! A girl can dream, right?
This. People are acting like he won’t be prosecuted. He can’t pardon himself for state crimes…
I was gonna come in and try to make a joke about Trump but, his backers and the entire
wack-a- doodle amount crimes he has committed, the batsh*t crazy support he still has, and amount of violence that could happen..nothing funny about him still clawing his way back ever.
Biden-Harris are the sane choice, obviously.
But, the GOP seems to be relentless in their thirst for power, power and to hell with the Law, to hell with personal right, to hell with working for We. The. People.
I truly am afraid that America will not be able to ever have the 2 parties meet halfway again.
Every GOP member is watching out for themselves. Not good for the common man.
So far, Mitt Romney has come forward to encourage Trump to pull back.
Makes me like Romney a bit, he is at minimum, trying to be reasonable, act like an Adult.
Dss,
Love your comment!
I doubt he’ll be healthy enough to run again in four years time
fingers crossed!
True. He’s old, out of shape, and had covid.
no but i think one of his idiot sons will try.
Can’t run if you’re a felon. That goes for all the kids except Tiffany because she joined the game late.
My hope too and McConnell has taken some nasty falls lately. They all seem to forget that time gives zero effs about their need for power
I was thinking the same thing!
I am in love with that Fox news clip shutting down on Barbie bitch Kayleigh McEnamy because they could not in good conscience continue to play it, because of all the flagrant lies she was spewing LOL!! There still has been NO evidence presented by Trump or the GOP, or any lawyers showing their case for illegal or fraudulent voting!! It’s all just Trump crying and having a temper tantrum at this point. And as far as I have seen, every attempt Trump has made with his lawyers, in the contested states, the courts have dismissed the cases and thrown them out based on little to no evidence.
I just wish he would concede and stop this bullshit. He is only making this transition more difficult for this country in the end. It is not helping the deep divide among the American people. But then again, he never gave a shit about any of us anyway. Almost 240,000 died on his watch and he barely acknowledges it, much less cares.
There was also a clip on twitter where a Fox anchor didn’t realize she was on air (someone else was speaking but the camera was still on her and her mic was still on) and the other person was talking about election fraud or something and the anchor rolled her eyes and was like “what is going on, Pete, we called it!” (I don’t know if the name was Pete, lol, but she was clearly talking to someone off screen.) I feel like Fox News is starting to shift slightly for whatever reason.
Rupert Murdoch. The rats are fleeing the ship.
@Becks1, I saw that clip too. She was is disbelief. I too feel like Fox news is slightly shifting. Maybe it’s because the rabid dog has bitten them in response to losing election. He has accused them twice of not assisting or undermining the effort of his winning. Can you imagine if Hillary had done the same? Good Lord.
I spoke with a die hard republican friend and hinted Fox is shifting but they laughed. But there is a rift there, and people are seeing it.
@Becks1 – I know people who work for Fox News and I can tell you that many of them don’t believe the bs that Fox peddles. They really don’t. I know it’s cringeworthy to read this but it really is just a job for them. That’s what you were seeing from the caught off guard anchor.
This doesn’t make sense to me, “caught off guard” … there are monitors everywhere in a studio. Monitors next to the camera that’s on her single shot so she can see what’s on air, monitors to her right and left if she needs to make some kind of head-turn. I’ve worked in television for 15+ years and every host, every producer has eyes on everything because they need to. There also is a red tally light on top of the camera indicating it’s an active camera-live on air. I’ll definitely buy that she didn’t realize her mic was open or she thought she hit the talk-back button to her producer directly, but she knew she was on camera and if the shows have been given a green light to exhibit more skepticism when the loonies come on, I’m here for it.
@Chicken – I’m sorry if I misspoke. Hadn’t had my coffee yet. I mean “caught off guard” as in that’s not her talking point she’s supposed to say on air. My point is that I KNOW there are people at Fox who don’t believe what the network is peddling. Like I’ve had drinks with them and they’ve told me. And not just a recent split – like fifteen years ago when I lived in NYC (Fox’s HQ).
She definitely didn’t know her mic was on, she might have known the camera was on her but could have missed it (she was looking down and then made the comment, and it was one of those screens were you see like 20 faces at once, lol.)
Or maybe she knew she was on air and that everyone could hear her and said it anyway, which is just that much better, ha.
The nation is split down the middle and undermining an election and stoking the fire is great way to have massive civil unrest – while trying to fight a pandemic that is running wild. God help them regain control if it all blows up in their face,
Where is the southern district of NY???
The southern district of NY is probably waiting until Biden is actually sworn in. Trump will then not have immunity and they will swoop it. I suspect Trump and his family will take the money and run to Russia prior to the inauguration and Pence will take Trumps place for the Biden inauguration
Russia or Turkey will wait for him with open arms.
I honestly don’t think they are smart enough to flee to Russia. I think they’re too convinced of their own invulnerability to prosecution. Unfortunately, I’ll be surprised if any of the Trumps are actually prosecuted for their crimes. I hope I’m wrong.
yeah, I’ve been saying this…if they’re smart (they’re not) they flee the country NOW, while they can still travel freely.
I strongly suspect that, as soon as Biden is sworn in, indictments will be unsealed and arrest warrants will be issued.
oh, and I’m sure Putin doesn’t want him anymore…45 has served his purpose as the useful idiot.
A former president still has secret service and still gets security briefings. Having one outside the country will never be allowed because it is too much of a security risk. I think he is going to be shocked at how constrained the rest of his life is.
@Rocķy, if he finds the continued secret service presence too constraining, he can always turn it down. Nixon did.
The secret service has actually been part of why I don’t think he’ll end up in prison. How would they handle that?
Russia is done with them. They are no longer useful. I do see some meeting an untimely end falling off a building so Russia’s secrets can remain a secret – I don’t put it past Pudding for doing this.
Oooh, you know it’s bad when FOX NEWS is over your bullshit.
I’m betting that he’ll be too far gone to run again in 2024, and Uday –oops, I mean JUNIOR!– will run instead. Which should be hilarious, because no one gives a rat’s ass about him. All vileness aside, Trump does have some charisma, but his kids are completely devoid of that. Cocaine is not a personality trait, after all.
Of course he does!
Watch out for Ivanka and Donny Jr. too.
yup!
I read an article this weekend that showed polling from the cultists indicating that they don’t want his devil spawn to run and wouldn’t support them if they did. Take that with a huge grain of salt, because these are not rational or consistent people, but I don’t think either of them would make great inroads with the masses who support their disgusting turd of a father.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/trump-ivanka-don-jr-run-for-president-2024-us-election-b1452024.html
My neighbours were saying that they think he’s refusing to concede to use as a bargaining chip against all the lawsuits and indictments that are going to rain down on him and his family on 21st Jan 2021. I can see that – plus I think he’s also doing it to get a wad of cash, he’s broke and I think the kids are as well.
Yup. He wants to negotiate his way into pardons. I hope Biden stonewalls him. That criminal needs prison very badly indeed.
Trump isn’t who should worry us for 2024. Somebody like Tom Cotton and his virulently racist but calm and sly in manner is who should worry us for 2024; somebody who absolutely plays by the same playbook but can speak his evil in a way that’s superficially palatable. Democrats have got to get their shit together by then to put up a decent candidate, else Republicans will absolutely run roughshod over us in 2022 and 2024, but frankly, so do Democratic voters. We have GOT to start showing up for the midterms.
Agreed that Tom Cotton worries me a lot more. He’s “normal.” He’s not tweeting all-caps nonsensical tweets at all hours of the night. He’s not going to call into Fox News just because he’s bored. He’ll read his briefing papers. So basically a lot of the things that turn people off of Trump – his refusal to work, his disregard for presidential norms, his ranting – wont be an issue, and we’ll have a calm, capable candidate who is incredibly racist.
See because he’ll be normal and not scream racist things the base will not be as interested. Trump is a once in a lifetime demagogue.
Sure, gtfoh now and concede and try to run again in 2024. Whatever, just go.
None of these lawsuits have merit. They are heavily based on hearsay, and thanks to Roberts decisions in Iqbal Twombly, would not survive a motion to dismiss.
Biden has built a solid legal team for whom he does not have to beg for funds. Hell, there are plenty of major DC firms willing to represent his campaign pro bono.
Even if it goes to Scotus, as much as Roberts hates voting rights, I don’t think he wants to be remembered as the chief justice who singlehandedly destroyed democracy.
My mom is a retired lawyer and she told me Alito and Roberts are strict Constitutionalists. She can’t see them backing Trump on this. I don’t think it will get SC. The courts are dismissing all the cases.
Meh, Alito is only a strict constitutionalist when it suits him. Roberts is though, and Gorsuch is a strict textualist, so its harder to predict how the court will rule. People think they know, and 9 times out of 10, they’re probably right, but you have that one time……even Scalia was surprising at times.
@Becks1, Scalia’s dissents were things of beauty. RBG was friends with him, so maybe he wasn’t that bad?
If today’s ACA hearing is any indication, the majority of the Supremes (minus Thomas who is sounds like an anti-masker) are not down with legislating via the bench. They also don’t want to look like they are Trump Puppets. Watch them deny the review if it even goes that far.
So is he accepting that he didn’t win this time?
Not worried – he is so far gone already, he’ll either be institutionalized or dead by then.
Also hilarious – If he truly thinks he won this election, then he CAN’T run in ‘24, right? You can only win this office twice, Don.
I’m not exactly sure why I keep getting deleted because it’s so important everyone knows and uses their voice and time to educate and keep united fronts. We have to understand, fully, what the constitution provides and what it can’t do.
I’m totally convinced that they had a fix going with the electronic ballots which would explain their premature election night victory party. Good old Vladdy and his hackers were on the job. However, they didn’t take into consideration the power of the paper ballot and are now trying to throw doubt on a way of voting that has existed long before electronic ballots ever did.
My question to them is, If the Dems fixed the election why didn’t they fix the senate races too? Makes no sense.
As for him running again in 2024, as if. NY is still waiting on their pound of flesh. Even if he escapes the federal charges, the states are something different.
Miss Lindsey was on Fox demonizing vote by mail (paper ballot). I think the entire thing should be vote by mail. Who wants to wait in line to vote?
Dude cannot walk down a ramp; he’s not “running” anywhere in 2024.
Hehehehe love it!
My thoughts: the GOP is gonna run Tucker Carlson or Tom Cotton. I think Cotton’s “slavery was a necessary evil” will taint him too much to succeed. Carlson, however, has a cult of rabid followers. He’s the one with a cult of personality to replace Trump. I think he’ll be the nominee.
He’ll have to shuffle-walk for office, that’s all he can manage.
As much damage as he is causing the country, he is also causing the GOP, his family’s standing and his own future standing and options. It’s about fundraising and face saving. The GOP has backed itself into a corner where they have few options to stop the damage. Let him pretend he will be running or one his nepotism kids. The GOP can’t react in horror. They will have to signal a silent agreement. But he will be so damaged, toxic, tarnished and uncharismatic (not to mention more senile and less able to finish a thought or hold a bottle of water), he will have no chance of winning the party nomination or flipping back any states. If he couldn’t grow his base now when it mattered he won’t have the discipline or skill set to do this in the future. He just wants to be a star. He doesn’t have a feel for real politik. So as horrified as I am, and nervous, I think he’s just shooting himself in the foot as the GOP nervously absorbs all his blows.
Please, we know he’ll be dead from natural causes by then.
He’ll either be dead or in jail by 2024. He is not physically healthy. Really doubt he can run again. But that doesn’t stop him from fundraising for 2024 aka making money off the MAGAT suckers. I don’t see this as a plausible path but go ahead and think that. Maybe he can concede.
Agreed. I have known similar rich people who ate poorly and drank like a fish (I know Trump doesn’t drink but I question the prescription drug use) and one man I knew only lived until 71. My father is 78 and a really good weight, eats healthy, in good shape, much like Joe Biden and a lot of his friends are long dead in their 60’s and 70’s due to heart attacks, strokes etc because of poor diet, smoking, etc. I will be surprised if he makes it to 80. He looks pretty unwell by the month.
Just read that Trump is creating a leadership political action committee. So he’s gonna grift with that as well as his campaign.
The funny thing is some people give money to this guy! Can you imagine giving him 500k like Lindsay Graham did?!? What skeletons does Trump know about him???
As if that fat fuck won’t have had a massive coronary event before 2024.
I wouldn’t worry, reality television moves on quicker than that. 2024 will be a new season with new contestants. Donald is old news.