Donald Trump the Megathread part II - mod warnings in OP, Updated 18/03/25

.Donegal.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158514#Comment_123158514

Surely he could illegally try to do it. Putin found away around in Russia and let’s be honest the republicans don’t hold him to account and all those talks of checks and balances amounted to nothing as he’s president again after jan 6th.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158541#Comment_123158541

Doesn't matter. The constitution is both almost impossible to change and revered by Americans across the political spectrum.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158549#Comment_123158549

Russia's a despotic hellhole. I'm as fond as anyone of highlighting the problems with the American state but it's not nearly as bad as Russia. Putin was able to capture the pathetic excuses of institutions they have. Trump has done the same but it's not enough by a long way.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158121#Comment_123158121

i would imagine many of trump's voters aren't that clued in on the nuances and boring bureaucracy of how politics works in america, or any western country. so getting rid of soft power programs like usaid and sacking civil servants and trimming down any kind of public spending is music to these voters' ears as they would have deemed all that pointless nonsense anyway. they were sick of these successful smart democrats telling them how they should live even though they were running the country well enough by american standards and trump coming in and crushing all the woke nonsense must be just as good as it gets for them, p*ssing all over the nonsense from the stuck up we're-so-much-better-than-you democrats.

a lot of rich successful people are on his side too because he will always bat for the rich.

the problem is all this nonsense could lead to the ruination of the country and all kinds of international problems too.

ArmaniJeanss

22nd Amendment
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice……

It looks fairly cast-iron that he can't win again, and as said the Constitution effectively can't be changed.

So what are the potential get-arounds?
1. He stands anyway, he gets the nomination, he landslides the electoral college. It's in theory a constitutional crisis, but because he clearly won (lets say with 50%+ popular vote as well), the well-beaten democrat candidate doesn't push it and the courts bow to the clearly expressed wish of the people.

2. More of a technical get-out. The Supreme Court decide that his wins in 2016 and 2024 count as his 'being elected twice', but 2028 would only count as being 'RE-elected'. Re-election multiple times isn't expressly forbidden by the 22nd. It's nonsense and clearly not in line with what the 22nd Amendment intended, but all you need is 5 Supreme Court judges to rule that it is ambiguous language and give a favourable interpretation.

McFly85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158576#Comment_123158576

As we’re finding out, the constitution is just words on paper. The president clearly doesn’t respect it, the VP doesn’t and has suggested this week that the judiciary has no right to stand in the way of the executive and plenty of republican senators/congressmen seem to be of the opinion that he might be acting unconstitutionally in some cases but they don’t care.

I’m not saying he’ll succeed, but right now America looks weak in enforcing it’s constitution - so if he has GOP support he will at least try.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158712#Comment_123158712

Doesn't matter. It isn't happening and the VP suggesting it is just him vomiting words. Trump clearly thinks nothing of Vance while Vance is clearly hoping that Trump will just die before 2028.

tarvis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158432#Comment_123158432

direct from the playbook of the IMF/ World Bank in Africa in the 70s leaving countries with unpayable debts which had to be paid in dollars. These payments came before Health eduction water and housing needs of many African. populations.
Nothing new under heaven. .

The robber gangs just changed.

Wolf359f

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158541#Comment_123158541

We'll have some GOP nutcase asking for the definition of a year to be changed to something other than 365(6) days or the time it takes the earth to orbit the sun etc...

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158719#Comment_123158719

For me, I wouldn't have confidence to rule anything out at this stage. What has happened to date is insane. I can't see a course correction...

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158576#Comment_123158576

And yet you have Senators and the VP currently saying that the President is above the law and that Judges shouldn't be allowed stop him doing what he wants to do.

The issue the US (and the world) are facing is who is going to stop him.

Yes , the Constitution is there and is really really hard to change , but if he chooses to ignore it - Who stops him?

By the time of the next Election cycle , he will have purged any "non-believers" from all positions of power and authority, so again - Who stops him?

Even if SCOTUS says no , barring Civil War who stops him if he just says "I'm not leaving"

Pam Bondi ?

Pete Hegseth?

JD Vance?

The only risk to Trump right now is the avarice and hunger for power from someone currently in his inner circle leading to them pulling a Brutus.

The law of the land and the constitution are merely speed-bumps sadly.

Wolf359f

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157860#Comment_123157860

Exactly, ultimately all the checks and balances are being eroded (inspector generals being illegally fired), federal judges rulings being ignored. As you say, whose going to enforce an order from a federal judge to remove doge from a department. Must also openly calling for one of the federal judges to be impeached.

Americans are just being distracted by Gaza, tariffs, Greenland, Canada, Gulf of Mexico etc... when they realize their now living in a new USA with zero checks on power they will wonder how that happened.

Field east

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157846#Comment_123157846

there are THOUSANDS OF WAYS to tackle fraud, ,embezzlement, poor financial decision making and the like and if all these WAYS/OPTIONS fail then you activate the nuclear option - Ie the MUSK way. And which way does Trump choose!!!!!!!!!!! . No need to answer as I respect your intellegence

Seattle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158642#Comment_123158642

It seems to me that finding a way to run for a third term should be easier than trying to overturn the actual 2020 election. If he really wants a third term, he will pull out all the stops and this time there are far less barriers against him succeeding. I'm confident that he'll find a way and he'll also successfully rig the election so he can't lose.

I think the only way we don't see a third Trump term is if age catches up on him and he physically/mentally deteriorates to a certain point where running again becomes impossible.

Ashbourne hoop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158980#Comment_123158980

I think the only way we don't see a third Trump term is if age catches up on him and he physically/mentally deteriorates to a certain point where running again becomes impossible.

How would we know ????

Seattle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159000#Comment_123159000

Because it's going to take a lot of energy, scheming, pressure, blackmail and corruption to pull off getting the green light for a third term and he won't be able for that stuff if he's senile.

drunkmonkey

Don't let all your heads explode at once, who's the bookies favourite Republican along with Vance & DeSantis for 2028🤣

everlast75

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159029#Comment_123159029

That assumes that Trump is the only one with a motive for him to have a third term. He is a useful idiot, open to corruption. The likes of Musk or other folk would love for him to stick around. They are capable of putting a plan together. It doesn't need to be all him.

Field east

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158892#Comment_123158892

and what about the ARMY? Has it no role in certain circumstances?

Seattle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159044#Comment_123159044

Yes they'll help obviously if Trump is still able minded. I think they'll prefer to throw their weight behind a different populist grifter if Trump is senile though.

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159042#Comment_123159042

4 years away so Trump can **** plenty up during that time. Atm, he's set to endorse Genocide, increase consumer costs and make the US irrelevant in terms of global politics. So I encourage you to place a bet now but it would be pretty silly.

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158289#Comment_123158289

I wouldn't say roles they are not qualified for I would say less qualified.

If you're not a minority you might miss out unfairly because they have to hit their quota including gender quotas.

Your colour, sex etc should not be a factor. No you don't need more of x,y and z.

aloyisious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159000#Comment_123159000

By using the ability tests he applied to Biden during the election months, lapses in speech, walking movements, tangential changes in topic thread, EG: the sudden change to talking about his E.O. on the use of drinking straws and sharks eating them.

Reference his oddball mention about the straws and sharks, I am minded about the mention from some-one else here of Trump using B/S as a distraction to whatever else he's doing.

aloyisious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159042#Comment_123159042

Which of those three do you see as having the better chance of getting the nomination in 2027, if the elder one is still with us?

Strazdas

The German constitution was supposed to protect from the wild excesses of the Nazi regime. Much of what Hitler did during WW2 was illegal under existing German law - this was one of the reasons he never signed a document authorising the Holocaust, it was all done by word of mouth.

You couldn't rule out Trump and his tens of millions of MAGA supporters attempting to even overturn the US Constitution. They don't believe in it and their only loyalty is to 'Trumpism' and 'making America great again'.

Wolf359f

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159101#Comment_123159101

The army wouldn't have a role in that at all.

We'll see what happens if doge is held in contempt or court. The White House also violated a judges order by not stopping the funding freeze. It will likely end up in the Supreme Court and we'll see just how strong the US democracy actually is.

In normal times I would guess the threat/fear of a president being impeached keeps them in line. There's no fear for Trump this time around.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159101#Comment_123159101

Under the command of the President and directed by a grossly unqualified Trump lickspittle in Pete Hegseth.

For the army to "get involved" would essentially require them to refuse a direct order from their Commander in Chief were Trump to refuse to leave office.

That's getting into Civil War or Military coup territory which is utterly terrifying.

If the other (alleged) co-equal branches don't stand up to Trump now if he refuses to obey the Court orders, they won't get another opportunity.

Boggles

Trump hasn't a notion of running again, it is pretty clear he is losing interest now and we are not even a month in. The chances of him keeping any way focused even for the first 100 days is pretty much zero.

He ran to keep himself out of prison and enrich his family, that is it.

Vance hasn't a chance of being the nomination in 2028 as it stands, Trump sees Don Junior as his natural successor.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123159385#Comment_123159385

He's never had any interest in the actual Job of being President, he's only ever been interested in the access it gives him to Money & Power and getting to be told he's awesome.

Seattle

https://apnews.com/article/election-security-cisa-kristi-noem-cybersecurity-5bac8ce416c46b4fbe44c94ae5874b39

I don't believe it's possible for the Dems to win the next election, no matter how many votes they actually get.

eightieschewbaccy

I see Musk has changed his Twitter name back to "Harry Bolz", a play on hairy balls. Lets repeat, multiple posters have claimed him and Trump are the grown ups...