Chunk 41: What if he runs again?

I’ve been trying to think of something to say about yesterday’s horrific events in the US capital that hasn’t already been said.

So I thought I’d try and take a slightly longer view.

Trump, though now finally acknowledging his electoral defeat, has repeatedly told his supporters/reptiles that “our incredible journey is only just beginning”.

But is he right? Could he really come back?

Well, there is precedent. Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd and 24th president. He served from 1885 to 1889, lost to Benjamin Harris, and then returned to serve a second term from 1893 to 1897.

There’s no age limit to prohibit Trump: provided you’re over thirty five and were born in the US, any citizen can run.

And if you’re one of those many people who believe that Trump is destined to go to jail for some as-yet-unspecified crime, I have bad news for you: convicted felons are allowed to hold positions in the US federal government. Bizarrely, it’s only state and local positions Trump would be banned from seeking.

Conceivably, following recent events, the Republican Party could decide to kick him out. But that would be a huge risk for them politically. Trump has regularly maintained a 90%+ approval rating among Republican voters, although it remains to be seen how that will now hold.

Were he to be excommunicated, it’s not too farfetched to imagine him then starting his own third-party, which, given his proclivity for naming things after himself, you would imagine would be called “Trump”. That would be the Republican’s worst nightmare, splitting their vote and handing Democrats a huge advantage in future elections. And let’s not forget, the Democrats now hold power in the House of Representatives, Senate and the White House - so they already have a considerable advantage.

But would Trump seriously run for president again? I’m not so sure. There’s flogging a dead horse, and then there’s waiting out behind the glue factory hoping for a fresh offcut to try and ouija board it back to life.

All any political opponent would have to do is bring up yesterday’s terrible events in Washington, and you’d think (hope?) he’d immediately be discounted as a candidate. Those images won’t soon be forgotten.

But I wouldn’t discount him using his platform to create a run for one of his children, probably Ivanka. Certainly not Eric.

I’ve spent a bit of time in DC and have visited the US Capital Building on three different occasions. It’s a reverential place, all marble statues and oil paintings. So I’m surprised I haven’t heard the word “desecration” used more often in news reports over the past 24 hours. Because that’s exactly what it was.

The greatest democracy in the world has been badly sullied. Covid, the economy and now turmoil within their entire system of government: Joe Biden is about to inherit the triple threat. America is going to take a long time to recover.