Could President Trump Remain In the White House Even If Defeated In November?

What would this mean for the economy?

Below is an article written by Lorimer Wilson of munKNEE.com. munKNEE.com is a new affiliate of eResearch.com.

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In a recent interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News when asked if he would accept defeat in an election Trump responded: “I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense, OK?”

By Lorimer Wilson, Editor of munKNEE.com – Your KEY to Making Money!

As the U.S. heads into its statutorily scheduled election on the first Tuesday after Nov. 1…the depth of the President’s disdain for democracy and the rule of law is on full display.) Source

(For nearly 250 years, Presidents have respected the law. Even when electoral defeat has been unexpected and ignominious, Presidents have passed the baton without acrimony…

  • That a President would defy the results of an election has long been unthinkable but it is now, if not an actual possibility, something Trump’s supporters joke about and
  • Michael Cohen, has said that “given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power.”) Source

(Indeed, in a recent interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News when asked if he would accept defeat in an election Trump responded: “I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense, OK?”) Source

[No wonder many Americans are fearful that Trump might] (postpone or cancel November’s election if it appears that…[he] is likely to be defeated BUT it’s not allowed or, at least, it’s not allowed unless Congress allows it to happen.

Election Day and the Electoral College

  • A trio of federal laws set Election Day for members of the Electoral College, senators, and US representatives as “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November.”
    • If Republicans want to change this law, they will need to go through the Democratic House.
    • That said, there is technically no constitutional requirement that a state must hold an election to choose members of the Electoral College.
      • The Constitution provides that “each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress” so a state legislature could theoretically decide to select presidential electors out of a hat.
      • More worrisome, a legislature controlled by one party could potentially appoint loyal members of that party directly to the Electoral College yet, while state lawmakers theoretically have this power, the idea that presidents are chosen by popular election is now so ingrained into our culture that it is highly unlikely any state legislature would try to appoint electors directly.
      • Additionally, even if a state did decide to appoint electors directly, that would require the state to enact a law changing its method of selecting members of the Electoral College.
  • The 20th Amendment, moreover, provides that “the terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January.”
    • Thus, even if the election were somehow canceled, and, as such, no one is elected to replace these officials, Trump and Pence cease to be elected officials the minute their terms expire on January 20.

To view the complete article, please visit: www.munKNEE.com/could-trump-remain-in-the-white-house-even-if-defeated-in-november/

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munKNEE.com is a new affiliate of eResearch.com. To learn more about munKNEE.com, please visit their website and sign-up for their weekly newsletter.

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About Chris Thompson 358 Articles
Chris Thompson is the President and Director of Equity Research at eResearch. He is a Professional Engineer and CFA Charterholder with a MBA in Investment Management and over 15 years of experience in software development, FinTech, telecommunications, and information technology. For the past 10 years, he has worked in the Capital Markets in Equity Research, M&A Investment Banking and Consulting in various sectors.