Now We Know

In July of 2018 — two and a half years ago — I published an essay on this blog called “Will Trump Ever Leave Office (Even If He Loses in 2020)?” As the title implies — spoiler alert — it asked this question:

Will Donald Trump willingly leave office even if he is defeated in November 2020? And if he balks at doing so, or worse, refuses outright, will the Republican Party do anything about it?

I went back and looked at that essay recently in the wake of Trump’s attempted self-coup, culminating in the January 6th Capitol insurrection. I’m sorry to say that much of it was right on the mark.

In the interest of post-mortem, I offer here some highlights from what at the time struck many people as wacko, left-wing fearmongering.

Now we just call it US history.

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July 23, 2018:

(T)he notion of a massive indictment hanging over his head as soon as he surrenders power will incentivize Trump to stay in office at all costs, like the cornered rat he is.

The irony is rich. In a twist worthy of Roald Dahl or O. Henry, one of the most egregiously guilty sonsabitches in US criminal history will find himself in the only position in American life in which he is protected from prosecution. So you can bet your life that he will do everything within his…