What does the future hold for Donald Trump? - threadbans in OP

And so it begins, watching them turn on each other is delightful! Surprised he knew such a big word, it was probably wasted on that crowd though.

If Trump does (or can) run again, there isn't going to be a Republican primary in the traditional sense. Who's someone from that party who could clinch the nomination who's not a Trumpist? And how could a Trumpist run against Trump? That'd be ridiculous. They'd have to simultaneously endorse Donald Trump while trying to outline why he shouldn't be the nominee. Forget physicists trying to merge their theory of gravity with the other fundamental forces. I think I've just found an even harder equation.

If Trump runs again, DeSantis will get down on his knees before Donald, just like everyone else in that party who wants to stay somewhat relevant. He doesn't have to like it, but that's what it is.

Couldn't let the occasion go by unmarked...

I disagree to a certain extent. Some of Trump's policies were quite popular with the US electorate so there is an economic and social agenda platform there to run on for another Republican. The most unpopular part of the Trump administration was Trump himself and the constant circus of nonsense from the first day to the last day of his presidency. Someone COULD run on the platform of bringing his agenda but not his horrific personality and ant-democracy leanings.

Having said that, you're right about the fact that if and when he does announce, nobody will run against him, simply because they're all too afraid of him.

Which poster here claimed that the Russians didn't interfere with US elections?

'Putin's chef' Yevgeny Prigozhin admits interfering in U.S. elections

That's hardly new information, really.

Anyway, seeking to influence another country's elections seem to be an almost accepted part of the 'great game' of international politics between rivals, although I would draw a distinction between seeking to influence opinion and literally sabotaging an election by flipping votes somehow, which is what the Trumpies are alleging with 2020.

I sincerely hope the media have learned their lesson (but don't think they have) in giving him continual coverage. Wait until he does something and cover it if you must but don't hang on his every word

"the first question that any, and all journalists should ask, if why he is going to run if the elections are rigged"

And another - if you and your lawyers are in court swearing court documents stating that you won the election, how could you possibly run for a third term?

No.

His documents say he *did* win, not that he thinks he did. He is campaigning off the fact that he won.

He hasn't got the mental capacity to admit losing. Journalists should put that question to him. Make him explain it.

Trump voted for DeSanctimonious lol

I saw people arguing he should get 3 terms cos the media was so mean to him during his first term and it shouldn't count. This was just after he lost to Biden but among some of his supporters who believed the result would be overturned any day.

He's definitely worried by DeSantis l, especially after his strong showing in FL

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/08/donald-trump-ron-desantis-2024-president-campaign?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

I don't think he even needs to do that. He just has to say the GOP stabbed him in the back and his base will just stay home at election time. The Dems would romp home.

Trump being blamed for last night’s Republican performance. If he runs against DeSantis he will cause chaos.

Trump won't be put forward as a candidate by the republican party, however trump will announce himself as the republican candidate. Major split in the republican party in the next 18 months

Much can happen in 2 years. The absolute best thing for the 2024 Potus race is if TFG announces next week. I actually expect he won't, and eventually endorse whoever gets the announcement on condition (quid pro quo of course) of getting a POTUS pardon when/if that candidate wins.

Not a disastrous night for the Republicans, but a clear sign that Trumpesque / Trum-endorsed candidates are losing ground.

The Republican have the same issue they have always had - how to get rid of Trump without alienating his base. Now they can clearly see that his base/influence is shrinking.

But how to get Trump to quietly slip out of the spotlight, or even better from their perspective, to get him to endorse a candidate that also has mainstreap GOP support, is not something that will be easy to achieve. It isn't as if Trump has any great love for the GOP, or any interest in taking steps to maintain their popularity in his absence by doing what's best for the party.

It is a disastrous night really. They should have won far more. History of mid-terms, Bidens own approval ratings, inflation, gas prices.

Very poor performance and doesn't bode well for 2024. That it is now abundantly clear that Trump is not a winner for them, but that should have been obvious as far back as 2020. But the key problem remains exactly as it was.

How can then pivot away from Trump without splitting the party? That was the case back in 2020, and remains the case now. If the lie about election fraud wasn't enough. If the attempted coup on Jan 6th wasn't enough. Then how will this be enough?

It isn't, not for Trump or his supporters. So the GOP are in a real hole now. The best option would have been to win convincingly and De Santis to do relatively poorly. That the opposite happens means that Trump is now weakened, De Santis is more powerful, but Trump will now go away.

Thats very true, its almost certain that the next president will be a Democrat because as bad as they are the GOP are alot worse.

The Democrats could run a scarecrow in 2024.

There seems to be a dearth of talent in Global politics, utter cabbages running the US, UK and Ireland at the moment.

People get what they vote for. If people are going to continue to be duped by con artists like Trump, Johnson etc and laugh at serious politicians for being boring then that is what they are going to get.

The likes of Trump, Johnson, Truss etc should be nowhere near leadership levels in any properly functioning democracy, and if the outlier does manage to get through then the checks should be in place to limit the effects.

But in a democracy sometimes it all comes down to the lesser of two evils. Don't let the great perfect be the enemy of the good. Too many people were too quick to latch on the faults of HC and allowed such a terrible candidate as Trump to lie his way, and then even after what some could generously call taking a chance, have refused to accept the error and doubled down.

Lat night the US seems to have taken a further step to try to undo the damage and move back towards taking democracy seriously again.

Who was the last government leader in Ireland, the UK or the US that was the type of leader that you want to see again?

Biden has been much better than I thought he was going to be and the biggest regret I have is that if he hadn't lost his son to cancer, he could well have run in 2016 and we would never have had to experience what we have done and the absolute drop in standards within the Republican party as the turned towards people who spouted Trump like rhetoric.

Biden is showing his years, everyone does, so I don't think there's 6 more years in him but I cannot understand how anyone can look at initiatives to make healthcare more affordable, to prevent gas company profiteering, to cut student debt, to invest in infrastructure and industry and turn towards what Trump and those like him go on about.

I, like others, would enjoy watching Trump get his comeuppence, finally, but I do hope he sets fire to the GOP before this happens (if it does). They deserve it for how they succumbed to him over the last 6 years and particularly since Jan 6th. Watching the trust in the electoral process being set fire to as was done was extremely concerning.