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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    What Happens if He doesn't Go?

    Lawrence Wilkerson Walks Bill Maher Through Worst Case Scenarios if Trump Loses This Fall

    Ross A. Lincoln and Phil Owen
    August 8, 2020, 11:51 AM



    On Friday’s episode of “Real Time,” Bill Maher’s top-of-the-show guest was Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired Army colonel and prominent critic of both U.S. foreign policy and Donald Trump. And during a discussion of one of Maher’s favorite topics — his worry that Trump might not honor the election results if he loses in November — Wilkerson broke down some worst case scenarios.

    Wilkerson is a member of two bipartisan task forces dedicated to election integrity, including one that recently held “war games” to figure out just how such an unthinkable scenario might play out. As Maher noted, it’s a particularly “urgent” question since recently, Trump hinted in an interview with Chris Wallace that he might not uphold the election results if he loses — in other words, the President of the United States suggested he might conduct a cop d’etat.
    Wilkerson explained that the Transition Integrity Project, which conduced the ‘war games,’ included “some really high-powered political analysts, scholars and others playing the Republicans,” many of which are Republicans, and “Democrats playing the Dems.”

    According to Wilkerson, the group gamed out several different scenarios for how things could go based on specific circumstances of the election. “One that you might suspect is a complete Biden Blowout. That is to say, Electoral College and popular vote, Biden wins. Then what does the Trump team do?” he said. “Another one, as you might surmise also, and very difficult and complex, is where there is really a lot of closeness. A lot of indecision. Maybe a popular vote one way and electoral college vote in other way. Or possibly even no way to determine and it’s thrust into the House of Representatives. So different scenarios, different reactions from each team.”

    One disturbing thing Wilkerson relayed to Maher was that “when the Republican team got the scenario ‘decisive Biden win’ and threw its moves out there, the Democratic team was stunned by the arrogance, the sheer power and the sheer indecency, if you will, of the Trump team moves. Everything from, Okay, we got 70 days to destroy the United States government. We’ve got 70 days in which to not provide the incoming team with any transition whatsoever; You want to know what our policy is on Iran, on China, on taxes, you won’t know it because we’ve destroyed all the paperwork and we won’t let anyone brief you. You are coming into an empty White House.”

    “There’ll be no national security council staff, nothing to brief you,” Wilkerson continued. “You might have a note in your desk drawer in the West Wing that says, ‘Welcome, you stupid idiot.'”

    Wilkerson said those tactics prompted the Democratic side of the games to come “back with moves that were mostly realistic, mostly not powerful, mostly not dramatic,” and he said the lesson learned was “hey, you Democrats, you can’t be so timid.”
    The Republicans may be quite ruthless. They may be quite strategic. They may be quite arrogant with their power. Another insight here: if you own the government, you have a considerable advantage over those who don’t.

    Then Maher asked “what does the military do… I know people say that can’t happen here. Okay, everything anyone always said can’t happen here, has happened here. It could happen here. Now, I know that there’s a breakdown between the top leadership — I think they’re much more anti-Trump, but I’ve heard you talk about people in the ranks who are like literally neo-Nazis.”
    To that, Wilkerson pointed to the recent, infamous use of U.S. military personnel to disperse lawful protesters from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. in order to allow a Trump photo opp, and the apologies days later by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and Joint Cheifs chairman Mark Milley, who both appeared in the photo.

    “I recommend [Milley’s speech] to every American citizen,” Wilkerson said. “The speech essentially said, ‘I shouldn’t have gone,’ and it explained to all the military officers listening what his view of the Constitution was and so forth, which was quite good. I also happen to know that about 300 flag officers — that’s generals and admirals — weighed in, active duty and retired, afterwards to let Mark Milley know that he’d done the right thing. So at that level, the command level, we’re probably in pretty good shape. But as you suggested, there are a lot of people in the ranks, particularly the staff sergeant and below ranks, that I’m not so sure about. Many of them voted for Trump.”

    Wilkerson said that in his understanding, a lot of support for Trump in the military is “falling away,” largely due to how the administration has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 Americans, by far the absolute worst handling in the developed world. “I do think, as a military professional, the military will quote stay in barracks unquote.”

    That said, Wilkerson added that he wonders what will happen “if Trump calls his base to the streets with their guns,” who he said “owns something like 60 to 70 percent of the 300-400 million guns in America.”

    “If they answer that call and come to the streets with guns, then we probably are going to have a need for the military. And then all bets are off as to how much blood might flow,” he said.

    Maher asked if there’s a risk that members of the U.S. military could be part of “a faction” that might join those people. “There are some,” Wilkerson said,” citing an example of a soldier he says recently confessed in an email he would be willing to shoot a fellow soldier who is Muslim in the back during combat.

    Wilkerson ended on a positive note, explaining that another group he’s part of is working on ways to bring Americans together. Good luck with that, sincerely.
    Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Worst case scenario, but stranger things have happened.

  3. #3
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    A cop d'etat.

    Is that a police state?

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    His term runs out in January. At that point he is just a private citizen, and they can treat him like any other trespasser.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat peaches's Avatar
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    Grab the pricK by the collar, and throw him in the slammer.

    ............... Where he belongs.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    His term runs out in January. At that point he is just a private citizen, and they can treat him like any other trespasser.
    Did you miss this part?

    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    “If they answer that call and come to the streets with guns, then we probably are going to have a need for the military. And then all bets are off as to how much blood might flow,” he said.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by peaches View Post
    Grab the pricK by the collar, and throw him in the slammer.
    Remember, he's unindicted coconspiritor number one.....I'm guessing soon after leaving office he'll be visiting a courtroom should he lose the election.

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pickel View Post
    Did you miss this part?
    The military will be working for the new President.

  9. #9
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    No point losing sleep with this sort of second guessing.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    The military will be working for the new President.
    I guess you missed this part too:

    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    So at that level, the command level, we’re probably in pretty good shape. But as you suggested, there are a lot of people in the ranks, particularly the staff sergeant and below ranks, that I’m not so sure about. Many of them voted for Trump.”

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pickel View Post
    I guess you missed this part too:
    Staff sergeants and below aint going to be able to effect a coup d'etat.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheRealKW View Post
    Staff sergeants and below aint going to be able to effect a coup d'etat.
    They can start a civil war though. Does it really matter who the president is when there are raging gun battles in the streets?

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pickel View Post
    They can start a civil war though.
    just like any civilian, but that won't make it a coup d'etat

  14. #14
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    I think your version of coup's comes from living in Thailand.

    If Trump doesn't leave on Jan. 20th, who makes him go? I've heard it would be the secret service or the FBI. How do they do that if Trump brings his own troops to the White House? Maybe Erik Prince will provide him with his own private army. Then what? You'd think the military would roll in then, but the military is made up of those low level soldiers that are Trump supporters. Then what?

    I know it's all hypothetical and sounds crazy, but nothing would surprise me anymore, and I feel these are very possible scenarios.

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pickel View Post
    but the military is made up of those low level soldiers that are Trump supporters.
    I don't think you understand how the militaries work.

  16. #16
    I Amn't In Jail PlanK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pickel View Post
    You'd think the military would roll in then, but the military is made up of those low level soldiers that are Trump supporters. Then what?

    During the Red Shirt uprising the Thai soldiers were referred to as being watermelons (Green on the outside, red on the inside). The political slant of the squaddie was more in line with the protestors than the generals. The Red Shirts also had some renegade military Black Shirts on their side.
    Did it matter?
    Some people think it don't, but it be.

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ...tRump disposal may require a Secret Service escort to Air Force One for the one-way trip to Mar-a-Lago...additional Secret Service personnel can keep him in place (and incommunicado) until the courts need him...no visitors, no cronies, no politicians...just tRump, a golf course and McDonald's home delivery...
    Last edited by tomcat; 09-08-2020 at 08:11 AM.

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    Posted earlier ...

    ---

    Could Trump refuse to leave office?

    Posted 19 Jun 2020, 8:26pm

    President Trump’s unfounded allegations about voter fraud during this year’s presidential election prompted Joe Biden to voice his concerns about Trump’s refusal to accept defeat.
    Planet America spoke to law professor and author of “Will He Go” Lawrence Douglas about the looming election and potential constitutional meltdown.

    ABC Planet America - Extended Interview - Lawrence Douglas | Facebook
    Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago ...


  19. #19
    I am not a cat
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...tRump disposal may require a Secret Service escort to Air Force One for the one-way trip to Mar-a-Lago...additional Secret Service personnel can keep him in place (and incommunicado) until the courts need him...no visitors, no cronies, no politicians...just tRump, a golf course and McDonald's home delivery...
    I personally cannot see either the secret service or army making a call on who is the legitimate president in the event of a muddled election result. Depending on the exact situation it will end up in either congress or the supreme court. Both of which are currently republican.

    I would think that trump has taken the old adage of possesion being nine tenths of the law to heart. Unless the election result is a landslide he is going to create a storm of confusion and hope the legal side goes his way.

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nidhogg View Post
    the legitimate president in the event of a muddled election result
    ...possibly, but if he refuses to leave office after clearly losing in the electoral college (close tally or not), then an escort may be required...

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pickel View Post
    I think your version of coup's comes from living in Thailand.

    If Trump doesn't leave on Jan. 20th, who makes him go? I've heard it would be the secret service or the FBI. How do they do that if Trump brings his own troops to the White House?
    Baldy orange cunto doesn't have his "own troops".

    And come 20th Jan he won't have anyone else's either, unless he gets re-elected.

  22. #22
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    an escort may be required...
    They should inform him of that.

    He'll relax, and be expecting a hooker.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheRealKW View Post
    I don't think you understand how the militaries work.
    I don't think you understand how cults work, or how politically divided countries with more guns than people work.

  24. #24
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    I hope I'm wrong about all this, but I predicted he would win in 2016, and so far it's gone exactly as I imagined it would.

  25. #25
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    an escort may be required...
    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    They should inform him of that.

    He'll relax, and be expecting a hooker.
    ...

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