Where will the Orange Menace be on January 20, 2025? Let’s set aside morbid or offensive scenarios—things like rotting in an overcrowded prison in China after being kidnapped on the fifth fairway of one of his Scottish golf courses. It is easy to come up with dozens of scenarios like that, but what’s the point? It is okay to dislike or even hate Trump but wishing him ill should be unacceptable. Calling for retribution against Trump is something that only somebody like Trump would do.
The next eight-plus months will be wild. One can imagine dozens of scenarios, most of them frightening. Will they include any of the scenarios I imagined last weekend after eating too much spicy food?
Trump falls seriously ill. Given the stress of facing 91 felony charges and unpaid civil penalties of more than a half billion dollars, as well as the wear and tear of campaigning, a sudden, major-medical crisis could happen. Are Trump supporters likely to stick with him after he suffers a stroke or heart attack? Will Trump do something that finally convinces his supporters he’s not physically up to the job of president?
Trump declares bankruptcy. The devil may be in the details, but generally, court penalties are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. And, of course, a bankruptcy could increase sympathy for Trump among those who agree with Trump that the fines imposed for business fraud in New York are BS. Trump would launch aggressive new fundraising campaigns based on his bankruptcy. My guess is that Trump supporters will not abandon him if he is forced to (again) declare bankruptcy.
Melania Trump divorces Trump. Rumors that Melania, who Trump is accused of referencing as “Mercedes” in a recent campaign speech, is contemplating divorce could prove true. Would a third divorce cost Trump support? Or would it strengthen support among his base who would blame the divorce on the “deranged prosecutors” who indicted him? Would Trump start attacking Melania as also being “deranged?”
Two or three women come forward with claims that Trump impregnated them and encouraged them to get abortions. If Trump were the player that he claims to be (and photos with people like Jeffrey Epstein suggest that he was), this scenario must be considered at least possible. Would the Trump followers who praise him for overturning Roe v. Wade abandon him? Don’t count on it, especially if Trump simply calls the women involved liars.
Additional videotapes of Trump bragging about assaulting women with impunity are found. These tapes would be similar to the infamous Billy Bush tape. This scenario could prove to be a non-event. Everyone knows Trump is crude. His base is likely to yawn. Trump’s opponents would publicize the tapes, but how far will that get them?
New evidence of Trump’s complicity in the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol emerges proving that Trump planned for an angry mob to disrupt the counting of votes. If Trump supporters learned that he was personally responsible for the insurrection, would that change their support for him? Or would they like him even more?
A Trump supporter attempts to assassinate Joe Biden. There can be little doubt that Trump calling Biden a criminal, the worse president in history, senile and deranged could inspire someone to attempt an assassination. If that happened, would voters rally around Biden (assuming the assassination attempt failed), or would Trump stand up for the would-be assassins and call them patriots?
The IRS files a massive tax fraud case against Trump. Would this poison Trump’s support? Or would they, echoing Trump, call it another witch hunt or even increase their support and donations to Trump in the belief that by not paying taxes, Trump was fighting big government.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce formally endorse Biden. This is perhaps the most likely of the 10 scenarios, but would the endorsement hurt Trump? Trump supporters don’t seem to be the type of people who would drop Trump because Swift detests him. And many Trump supporters may not know who Travis Kelce is.
Finally, as November 5 approaches, Trump determines that he is going to, again, lose the presidential election. Knowing that the government is likely to be better prepared to address another attempt to gain power through violence, Trump could renounce his citizenship and move to a friendly country, such as Russia. If this were to happen, would newly reelected President Biden seek to extradite him back to the U.S. Not likely.
These 10 scenarios, if you have not realized it, are speculative. Here is one more scenario more likely than not to happen in November. Millions of Democratic, independent, and disgruntled Republican voters realize the election of Trump is a real possibility. Motivated by the imperative of protecting civil rights, saving the environment, maintaining abortion rights, respecting human dignity at the border, continuing American world leadership, and restoring decency to politics, vote in record numbers, swamping Trump. Trump is defeated in a landslide so big that even he is unable to claim election fraud.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government and other subjects.
Tim Furey says
I just love Mr. Dean’s paranoid and comedic rants! Only he can make up the scenarios and fantasies that are so rich in Trump ill-fortune. However it’s looking more likely that Trump will be re-elected and that a sane, common sense set of policies re immigration, crime, taxes, etc. will be put in place.
As a conservative, I encourage Mr. Dean to continue his creative writing and journalism. Whether he/she/they mean to or not, these essays verify the craziness of left wing political thought.
Hal De Bona says
Tim, also you forgot to mention the policies of retribution, revenge, and the further elevation of the billionaire class!
Signed
A Crazed Left Winger
Paul Rybon says
Mr. Dean’s hatred of Donald Trump in his weekly diatribes is constant and boring. His bio refers to politics, government and other subjects but I have yet to read anything of his about other subjects. Can’t wait.
Roger Sekera says
Of the ten possibles, the Kelse/Swift combination would seem to have the most potential…
raising support base for Biden. The t base may have peaked too early. I also like IRS
as a BIG dark horse.
Roger Sekera
Easton, MD
Doris Moore says
Good points 👍👍
I must admit I have entertained a few of the worse case scenarios.
I do believe there are more of us out here who will realize how we must vote in November.
I can’t believe that any sane person would vote for tRump.
Wilson Dean says
I would place my bet on the last of the alternatives (Trump simply losing the election) as being the one that comes to pass. It is always easy to criticize the incumbent (in this case Biden), but as time grows closer to each of us filling out our ballot, I sense we will all ask ourselves the same question. Do we really want to relive the chaos, hate, bluster, racism, and disrespect for each other that was the trademark of the 2017 Trump presidency? For most, I would suggest the answer will be “once burned, twice shy.”
Mickey Terrone says
Hello Wilson Dean. Good points, but I believe that Trump and his most extreme supporters may already have their post-election “ops” figured out in terms of violence. We know Trump will not concede the election results unless he wins, so there will very likely be some type of planned, violent reaction. Remember that this is not only Trump’s last best attempt to return to the White House but his best hope for remaining a free man. His supporters don’t appear to be listening to reason anyway. I suppose they feel Trump is the one and only who can allow them not to feel bypassed. Thus, I’d say Trump’s mere nomination is a virtual guarantee that the 2024 election will be violently contested if and when Trump loses. And he will certainly have ratcheted up the rhetoric by the late stage of the Fall campaign. I wish I could be more optimistic, but it appears many of his extremist supporters are fully prepared to ditch the democratic republic idea. They aren’t thinking about what happens if Trump takes a serious stroke or heart attack and passes and then they can’t go back.
William Keppen says
I’m certain this missive by Dean will draw the ire of Trump supporters, however, I find it well thought out and informative. It and the responses of record brought these words to my mind: “The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me. The dishonesty, the transactional nature of every relationship, though it’s more pathetic than anything else. He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life,” John Kelley, a Trump former Chief of staff. I’ll trust the judgement and words of a fellow Marine over a Trump supporter any day.
Mickey Terrone says
Hello John. The Orange Menace has just now gotten a deeper orange. SCOTUS, which refused to hear Special Counsel Jack Smith’s direct request to hear this very same case of immunity last December, has now agreed to hear it, but only after 7 more weeks of delay. On December 22, 2023, SCOTUS decided not to hear the case and sent it back to the Appeals Court. Now, after the Appeals Court rejected Trump. SCOTUS waited 2 full weeks to decide whether or not to take what should be a no brainer case. Trump was, in January, 2021, a desperate tyrant knowingly and willfully seeking to overthrow the will of the American people who elected his opponent, Joe Biden. Trump initiated a riotous mob, many of whose participants are now serving criminal sentences for carrying out Trump’s will, and absurdly claims he’s immune from being prosecuted for his leadership role in that effort to subvert the US Constitution, to which is was sworn to uphold. Such an idiotic claim has no business being seriously considered at any level, much less SCOTUS.
Yet SCOTUS isn’t really considering the merits of Trump’s baseless claim. They are aiding his criminality by effectively abetting his delay strategy to slow walk the justice system so Trump can dodge this damning guilty verdict. SCOTUS has lost any remaining credibility or legitimacy. They are Trump’s political pimps.
So, let’s get to Scenario 11. Trump evades prosecution by gaming the justice system to evade federal prosecution prior to the 2024 election and he gets the opportunity legally to be elected president again after fomenting a revolt after losing a fair and legitimate election and 60+ court cases challenging its validity. His self-proclaimed “patriot” supporters plan to react violently if and when Trump loses again in 2024 because the American democratic republic is no longer important enough to them. They plan to establish an effective dictatorship under a petty tyrant who will offer the wealthiest 1% massive tax breaks and give poor whites who feel “bypassed”, the “protection” of bigotry and white supremacist legal cover against blacks, asians, and other people of color.
Trump supporters cling to the hope that Trump can evade justice so they can turn their backs on Ukrainians’ (and our) war for democracy, sneer at women who no longer have the right to control their own reproductive rights and turn America into an authoritrian dictatorship. They need to go this route because they have chosen to support the Trump Party, which can only attract a minority of America’s voters. Violent thug tactics being the only available alternative, threatening legislators, judges and other political opponents who fail to toe the Trump line will become ever more commonplace. They know from actual voting results as recent as the Michigan Republican primary that between as many as one third of Republicans reject Trump and his evil degeneracy.
Scenario 11 results in the 2024 election that sweeps Trump and Trumpists fromcontrol of the White House and both Houses of Congress, demonstrating that enough white Americans can see past the reality that minorities are and have been an integral part of this country’s greatness for centuries. Veterans will finally reject Trump’s statements that they are all suckers. Real men will start to see women like E. Jean Carroll as more like their sister or daughter or mother and despise Trump for what he is.
Scenario 11 will be a happy ending for America despite the violence. American democratic republic will survive and become stronger in the ugly process with terribly hard-learned lessons in demagoguery and fascism. Trump will abscond for Moscow on his corporate jet and become Putin’s lapdog. His sons and daughter and their immediate families will ((hopefully) be on the plane with Donald. Melania will be at the airport trying to sneak off the plane with Barron before it departs.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Well said. What is blatantly obvious is SCOTUS is 1. looking to tie up the Supreme Court for the
Federalist Society. By slow walking this, they are giving a possible Trump Presidency the ability
to replace Thomas and Alito, who evidently would like to step down. 2. By taking this case and giving
legitimacy to Trump’s argument that he can have a Seal Team kill his political enemies (just think
about that)
and by making the trial near impossible to schedule before November they are giving him de facto immunity for failing to subvert American democracy once. Maybe the second time he’ll be better prepared, they hope!
Just listen to the statement today from the former PM of Australia.
“His Presidency is a threat to global security.” And that is just the start.
People who love our nation know now one thing: Democracy is up to us! Get going!
Barbara Denton says
It is wonderful to see your TDS is still alive and well. Trump has always protected Civil Rights. Climate change is an international hoax which is costing our economy and our citizens billions of dollars. Joe Biden caused the crisis at the border by removing all that Donald Trump did to stop illegal immigration. These are illegal aliens ruining our cities, killing Americans, crushing an already miserable education system and living off of American taxpayers. Every last one of them should be deported immediately. Hillary with her false Russian interference dossier started the indecency in politics. It continued for 3 years again wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on an investigation based on lies created by the Democrats and their cohorts in the FBI, CIA and the justice department. The corker was the letter signed by 51 former US intelligence officers saying the laptop from hell was Russian disinformation. None of them had seen it nor did they care. A crooked election followed wherein Crooked Joe Biden was elected. Now we are saddled with a demented old man who does not know if he is going or coming. He definitely is not a World leader. He is an American disgrace. World leaders are taking advantage of his weakness, cognitive disability and low IQ. We are on the verge of WW111 due this man being in the White House. You are living in LA, LA land if you think Trump is going to be defeated.
Deirdre LaMotte says
I know. How utterly stupid to respond to this post.
However, if this is a fraction of what people feel, and
I believe it is not, it is still chilling that one can voice
utter lies and make believes. If this was the Washington Post, this person would be accused of being a Russian Bot.
Just think about that. Obviously this is a person who
is a result of the war on truth the past 30 odd years.
And one wonders why we can abandon democracy for theocracy/ authoritarianism.
Barbara Denton says
The stupid—- being displayed is shown in this response. Obviously, your sources of info are MSDNC and CNN. It is way more than a fraction of what people feel. The percentages are moving upward week by week. You are pulling the same old DNC moves accusing the writer of lying when it is you, a DNC operative, who would not know the truth if you tripped over it.
The truth hurts. Get used to it. We are not going to bow down to your lies and misinformation anymore. The Washington Post would not print my response to Mr. Dean as they do not print the truth ever! I am not going to respond to your stupid—- again as it will only result in a p—–g contest of your lies and my truth.
J. E. Dean says
“The stupid–being displayed is shown in this response.” What are you trying to say here?
Barbara Denton says
That the remarks of Ms. Lamotte are the stupi— being shown.
Mickey Terrone says
Ma’am you seem to have forgotten that Trump and his dad were found guilty of racial discrimination in NYC in the 1970’s for refusing to rent apartments to blacks but perhaps his most horrendous racist act was to take a full page in a NYC newspaper calling for the death penalty for 5 minors accused of a rape in Central Park in 1989. The boys were later exonerated. Trump’s courting of white supremacists has been at the core of his reltionship with the “base” of poor “bypassed” whites, supporting the KKK after marching in Charlottesville. I think you are spending a whole lot of time with FOX to the detriment of your consciousness.
Or maybe you think poor whites love Trump because he gave billionaires massive tax cuts. Feel free to send us a postcard from LALA Land.
David Taylor says
Donald Trump still owns all of the real estate in your head. Absolutely entertaining to read such a screed on TDS.
Deirdre LaMotte says
I know! We sensible citizens try to flush the Trump cr*p but it keeps backing up. Even the sewer doesn’t want him!
Stephe W. Fye says
Really, J.E. Dean should spent at least some time thinking of anything other than Trump. The way he carries on isn’t healthy.
John Dean says
Thanks for the suggestion. My piece for this Wednesday, March 6, may be helpful in understanding why I am so concerned about the possibility of Donald Trump returning to power.
Rebecca Ellison says
HINT – We are ALL ‘concerned about the possibility of Donald Trump returning to power’. Just wondering if you are aware of that.