What will Trump do between now and January 20

[Juvenal]

Safe bet that he'll fire Fauci given he has already said he planned on doing so after the election.

Not that he can. As a career civil servant, Fauci can appeal and wind down the clock. Even if he couldn't, Biden'd just put him right back in.

[rogue06]

Not that he can. As a career civil servant, Fauci can appeal and wind down the clock. Even if he couldn't, Biden'd just put him right back in.

He can still be transferred to another position effectively removing him. And while Biden might bring him back just to spite Trump he already has his own team including a guy who thinks we should die by the time we reach 65 years old.

[Juvenal]

He can still be transferred to another position effectively removing him.

That's doubtful. He can't be fired directly, that'd have to come from his immediate superiors. He can't be demoted, either.

Trump says he might fire Fauci. Technically, he can’t.
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The process to remove him would need to be initiated by someone in Fauci’s chain of command, such as the director of the National Institutes of Health or the health and human services secretary, which is unlikely considering he is an esteemed figure in the scientific and medical community.

There's two chances he'll be moved out of his office before the inauguration, and the first one's "Slim" Collins, who's still the director of NIH. With Trump as a lame duck, I don't see any benefit to Azar going to that much trouble, either.

And while Biden might bring him back just to spite Trump he already has his own team including a guy who thinks we should die by the time we reach 65 years old.

I'm all done fact-checking your ravings, R. You gotta get a whole lot closer to believable before I'll bother with that again. When a president disagrees with science, it doesn't make the science look bad. That holds for people going after people supporting science, too. Make a note of that for next time.

[Electric Skeptic]

Pretty much. I don't have any reason to expect him to hold restraint on such things, given others pretty much didn't. I question whether he'll try to pardon himself. If he doesn't there's a chance that in the name of unity, Biden and his DOJ don't go after him (though politically motivated state AG (like NY) might still). If he does, he plays a game of chicken, hoping that SCOTUS upholds it, but at the same time by trying to shield himself, he pretty much guarantees he'll become a target.

Can he pardon himself?

[CivilDiscourse]

Can he pardon himself?

He can try. I'm sure he'll be sued if he does. The two big questions are:
1. Whoever sues him for doing so, do they have the standing to sue? (i.e. were they harmed).
2. Will the courts uphold the pardon?

As I said, I'd say it's about 50/50. If he thinks he's going to be prosecuted anyways, then pardoning himself is his best game-plan. At best it succeeds, at worst, it doesn't he faces the same prosecution he was going to.

[shunyadragon]

Play golf . . .

[Electric Skeptic]

Can he pardon himself?

So whatever law gives the President the power to issue pardons doesn't exempt the President from receiving the pardon?

But given that he won't get prosecuted (and possibly convicted) for anything until after he leaves the Presidency...he won't be President then to pardon himself, right?

Hope these aren't dumb questions - I'm just not sure how it would work.

[Whateverman]

What do we think?

Will he just go AWOL in a huff and spend the rest of the time at Mar-a-Lago?

Probably not. He needs to be the center of attention, so whatever he does, it will not involve trying to hide from the cameras (or Twitter)...

Will he try to subvert the vote? (Well, yes, he's already trying this)
Will he try to foment violence by his cult followers? Probably
Will he pardon a whole pile of criminals like Barr?
Will he pardon his spawn?
Pardon himself? If he can?

Yes to all of these.

I think he's going to intentionally do damage to institutions re. firing people, executive orders, etc. The big question in my mind is whether he's going to quit in order to have Pence pardon him or not. Some part of me thinks Yes, because it'd be the smart thing to do; another part thinks No, because he doesn't want to be seen as a quitter.

[firstfloor]

Play golf and make mischief. He’s done Presidenting.

[Watermelon]

Hold more rallies.

[oxmixmudd]

Whatever he does, it will not be noble, it will not be good for anyone but himself, but likely not that either. It will be some sort of vengeful, spiteful set of things that could fit under the banner 'scorched earth'

The more interesting question is how many so called evangelical Christians will revel in him doing these things, and support him while he does them.

An alternative scenario is that for some reason he quits or is removed due to mental defect and pence finishes his term. I tend to believe this scenario the best option for the country.

[EvoUK]

Whatever he does, it will not be noble, it will not be good for anyone but himself, but likely not that either. It will be some sort of vengeful, spiteful set of things that could fit under the banner 'scorched earth'

The more interesting question is how many so called evangelical Christians will revel in him doing these things, and support him while he does them.

An alternative scenario is that for some reason he quits or is removed due to mental defect and pence finishes his term. I tend to believe this scenario the best option for the country.

I'm aware that his administration are not yet starting the peaceful transfer of power, which is unusual but obviously not surprising given the mendacious people we're dealing with. Does anyone know the timeline when this has to happen? Would it be tied directly to the electoral college (and when is that meant to happen? I believe it is the beginning of December as a final deadline?)

I believe that the transition of power is a matter of law, but not sure the specifics and how it breaks down.

I'm aware he's still fighting the result, and is unlikely to concede himself, as I'm equally aware that none of his lawsuits have any legs whatsoever - though obviously act as red meat for the base. When does the law/constitution/etc call time on his nonsense? It is it merely another case that it isn't actually in law as no one thought a president like Trump enabled by the republican party would exist?

[oxmixmudd]

I'm aware that his administration are not yet starting the peaceful transfer of power, which is unusual but obviously not surprising given the mendacious people we're dealing with. Does anyone know the timeline when this has to happen? Would it be tied directly to the electoral college (and when is that meant to happen? I believe it is the beginning of December as a final deadline?)

I believe that the transition of power is a matter of law, but not sure the specifics and how it breaks down.

I'm aware he's still fighting the result, and is unlikely to concede himself, as I'm equally aware that none of his lawsuits have any legs whatsoever - though obviously act as red meat for the base. When does the law/constitution/etc call time on his nonsense? It is it merely another case that it isn't actually in law as no one thought a president like Trump enabled by the republican party would exist?

I am pretty sure that a president like Trump AND an enabling second branch and party were not considered possible without a complete abandonment of morals and principle by the American people. But with him getting 70,000,000 votes and the majority 'christian' contingent on this website and across the country supporting him in his depravity, I'd say we are almost there.

[firstfloor]

The ongoing legal challenges are awesomely pathetic and continue to heap disgrace on the entire Trumpian movement.

[Juvenal]

The guys and gals over at Lawfare and Stay Tuned with Preet have been saying everybody's looking for waves of firings as he tries to get even with everyone who's crossed him, from Wray to Fauci.

Trump fires Defense Secretary Mark Esper
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“The irony is that the president derided him as ‘Mark Yesper’ and the reason that he got fired is that he wasn’t,” said Eric Edelman, a former top Pentagon official under President George W. Bush. “It’s mean-spirited vengeance and vindictiveness, and he’s doing it because he can.”

Trump administration removes head of federal climate program that oversees key reports
Scientist leading U.S. Global Change Research Program is reassigned
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Kuperberg’s removal “seems quite consistent with decisions at NOAA and elsewhere,” said Kathy Jacobs, who is director of the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University of Arizona and ran the Third National Climate Assessment. “[It’s] a last-minute attempt to remove people who may not be perceived as supporting the president’s agenda.”

...

It also occurs against the backdrop of the removal of several government officials at the White House’s request, including a senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the director of the National Nuclear Security Administration and Monday’s firing of Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper.

Wuebbles and Jacobs said they did not understand why the administration would dismiss Kuperberg now.

“I can only speculate they want to see if they can manipulate the Fifth National Climate Assessment before the next administration comes in,” Wuebbles said. “Why they want to do that, I don’t understand.”

Jacobs said any damage done by removing Kuperberg could be reversed by the Biden administration.

“I would be more concerned if Trump had won the election,” she said. “If USGCRP is rudderless for a few months, I don’t consider that a devastating situation. The question is: What are they going to do in the interim?”

The toddler-in-chief is going to continue his lame duck melt-down.