Will he resign?
There’s a narrative out there that Trump might resign before the election—for instance, here and here.
As some have speculated, Trump “may decide that it’s more dignified to retire undefeated.” According to this analysis, “Trump may conclude that he has more leverage to cut the best possible deal with all players while the bargain includes a widely wished-for resignation, rather than after he loses.” The “deal” he would cut presumably would be some kind of protection against post-presidency lawsuits and Congressional investigations, which Trump rightfully fears could expose long-hidden personal secrets, cost him hundreds of millions of dollars, and possibly threaten his physical freedom and that of his family.
I want to argue in the strongest terms against such a deal. I don’t think one is in the works; Democrats wouldn’t even consider it, to be honest. And Republicans are showing few if any signs of wanting to dump their Dear Leader. But who knows? If discussions are underway, then I say Democrats—of which I am one–should say Hell no. No deal. If you want to resign, Mr. Trump, fine. But you’re in no position to negotiate anything.
When World War II was ending and it was clear that Germany was going down to total defeat, some of Hitler’s top henchmen tried to negotiate deals with the Allies. Himmler, Goering and Admiral Dönitz all put out feelers that would have protected them in exchange for throwing Hitler under the bus. The Allies—Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin—correctly refused a deal. In the end, facing hanging, both Himmler and Goering committed suicide, and Dönitz ended up serving a ten-year sentence in Spandau Prison. Should we expect anything less for the likes of Trump, Pence, Pompeo, Esper, McConnell, McCarthy or to be honest Trump’s children and son-in-law?
Well, I don’t expect any of them to crush cyanide capsules between their teeth. But all of them should be brought before a court of justice that will hear the evidence against them, which amounts to treason, and then their fate should be left to a jury of their peers to decide.
Democrats are in a mood for revenge after what Republicans have done, not only during the Trump years but even earlier; McConnell’s refusal to allow a vote on Garland was the most spectacularly partisan and shocking thing any Senate Majority Leader, of either party, has pulled off in my political memory. To my reading of history, Democrats have tried mightily to work with Republicans to achieve bipartisan consensus on most issues. Barack Obama came under intense criticism from progressives for reaching out to Republicans. So did Bill Clinton before him. But every time a Democratic President reached out to Republicans, they slapped his hand away and spat on it. After a while, even a dog will lash out at a person who constantly beats it.
This situation with Russians paying cash bonuses to Taliban fighters to kill Americans in Afghanistan is only the latest scandal to embroil Trump and call into question, not only his fitness for the office he holds, but even his allegiance to the United States of America and its Constitution. The evidence against him—factual and anecdotal—is enormous. One of these days, we’re going to have to get to the bottom of his infatuation with Russia and, in particular, his indebtedness to Putin. My opinion, unaltered for years, is that Putin has the infamous “pee tape” of Russian prostitutes urinating on, or for, Trump, in that Moscow hotel room. That is sufficient unto itself to explain Trump’s otherwise inexplicable servitude toward Putin. It’s fun to speculate on what might have been said between them during their secret meetings:
Putin: Yes, Donald, the tape is safe. It is locked in a safe in my personal office.
Trump: That’s good to know, Vladimir.
Putin: It does make interesting viewing, I must say. Not my particular cup of tea, but…
Trump: Well, we have a saying: To each his own.
Putin: Now, here are a few more things you might do, in order to reassure me that my decision to keep the tape locked up is correct…
Perhaps one of the “things” Putin requested, or demanded, is that Trump desist on any kind of response to the Afghan Bonusgate situation. Trump knew that a non-response would annoy many Congressional Republicans, who would have to publicly complain about it. But he knew also that his base wouldn’t care (except for a few whiny Gold Star parents, and he doesn’t give a damn about them), and that as long as his base remained solid, those few Republican Senators and representatives would remain loyal, in the end. So yielding to Putin, once again, was easy for him.
Trump: Whatever you want, Vladimir. I’m there for you.
Putin: I’m so glad, Donald. And I’ll do what I can to ensure your re-election.
Back to the resignation question: Will he or won’t he? I can’t see it. His most scathing insult of others is to call them “losers.” Were he to resign before the election, he would be a loser—in fact, the biggest loser in the world. It would be the ultimate humiliation for an egotistical man. So I’m not holding my breath. No, the only way to get rid of him is to trounce him, and all the Republicans, in the upcoming election; and then, to go after each and every one of them in courtrooms and hearing rooms. What we need is a little bit of a Reign of Terror: not a bloody, murderous one, but a legal one. It’s a hard, harsh task, but that’s what it will take to wash out the stain, the infection, the pestilence of what Trump and his party have inflicted upon us.
