In Donald Trump’s extraordinary press conference last Tuesday he asked a question regarding the taking down of statues of Confederate generals and other objectionable historical figures: “Where does it stop?” He projected the possibility of taking down the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial because both men owned slaves.
His question is one that could be applied in a more profound way to his presidency: where does it stop?
We know it’s going to stop someday. Nothing is forever.
If you’re an avid Trump supporter, and that includes as much as 35% of the American public, you would be ecstatic if it stopped on or around January 20, 2025. That would mean he survived a full two terms.
There are some Trump fans who believe that not only will this happen but also that he’ll be replaced by his daughter Ivanka, the first female president in American history. If not Ivanka, then the brilliant Donald Jr. If not DJT Jr., then son-in-law Jared Kushner, the first Jewish president of our great nation.
That way the country would get at least another four years of the greatest president in history, because he’ll be able to advise either his daughter or his son or son-in-law and, in effect, still run the country.
After all, he’ll only be 79 in 2025. To put that in perspective, if Bernie Sanders gets the Democratic nomination in 2020 he’ll already be 79.
Age is just a number to Mr. Trump. He’s fit and trim, works out like an Olympic athlete every day, and watches his diet scrupulously. He’s practically a vegan, and he’s definitely a gym rat. He looks great wearing spandex. He’s extraordinarily intelligent and articulate, and there’s no reason either his mental or physical condition should diminish.
Where does it stop? It could stop in January of 2021 when a Democratic president is inaugurated. The Donald could lose his bid for re-election despite that obsessively loyal 35%. He’d still need an additional 15% plus one to win a second term, or a third-party candidate favorable to him rather than his opponent.
How could that happen? It seems there’s an open rebellion against him among some Republicans, especially those he insulted non-stop during the GOP primaries. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who was second runner-up, appears to be considering a primary challenge. If Kasich throws his hat in the ring, others will follow.
It’s never a good outcome when an incumbent president has a primary opponent on his way to re-election. If I’m not mistaken, the last time that happened was when Sen. Ted Kennedy challenged President Jimmy Carter in 1980. Jimmy lost the general election to the Gipper, Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Trump is already campaigning, or still campaigning, as the case may be. He keeps firing up his base, a tactic from which he’s never deviated and has thus far worked splendidly for him.
The only problem is that he’s also firing up the left-wing base. Approximately 40,000 people showed up in Boston last Saturday for an anti-white supremacist rally. Large numbers are coming out to protest all over the country. Many of those folks stayed home last November or voted for a third-party candidate who couldn’t win rather than get behind Hillary Clinton. If the Democratic Party gets its act together and these people coalesce behind the candidate with a “D” beside his or her name, Mr. Trump will suffer a resounding loss.
Where does it stop? Some political pundits, including North Carolina prognosticator Dr. Douglas Safford, are absolutely positive that Donald Trump will be impeached or forced to resign by the end of his first year in office. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been quiet of late, but it’s clear that he is no joke and has the integrity we wish our elected officials, including our president, could display even on rare occasions.
There must be some reason why the president is so intent on keeping his taxes a secret, and why he goes crazy when investigations of his Russian connections occur. If there’s no there there, why does he dance around these issues like a cat on a hot tin roof? (Apologies to Tennessee Williams.)
There are three possible answers. Trump’s presidency could stop in 2025, 2020, or 2018. Sit back, relax with your favorite adult beverage (Diet Coke if you’re one of his fans), and enjoy the show.