What Could Happen Next

Story for a newspaper on Trump's removal from office.

Sunday Feature: What could happen next

January 10, 2021   Cueball

by Morrigan Jonsdottier, special to Sumner Newscow �"  What will happen this week, perhaps over the next 24 hours, in Washington D.C. will be one of the most intriguing in our nation’s history. For most Republicans, it could be a test of getting the President to the finish line after Trump apparently led the insurrection at the nation’s Capitol Building on January 6.

For the Democrats, it might be a case of Trump being too dangerous and too desperate to remain in office for the final 12 days of his term.

The question is if you are a Democrat, what can you do about it?

The Democrats seem to have a three-point plan:

Plan A �" Force Trump to resign;

Plan B �" Invoke the 25th Amendment and leave Mike Pence in charge;

Plan C �" Impeach Trump for a second time.

Plan A is forcing Trump’s resignation, which may seem far-fetched at first glance, but it actually may be the most viable option for the President. Anonymous sources from within the White House have indicated time and again that Trump is terrified of post Presidency criminal charges and prison time. A resignation could be negotiated that would entail a full pardon from President Michael Pence for all past crimes, both during and prior to Trump’s White House stay. This would be similar to the full Pardon that Nixon obtained from President Ford shortly after his resignation.

But this pardon would not protect Trump from his most visible threat, i.e., state charges of criminal bank fraud, tax fraud, and election fund fraud from several jurisdictions in the state of New York. And there are recent allegations that Trump placed multiple calls to the Georgia Secretary of State that my constitute obstruction of justice. But a deal could perhaps be negotiated to stay the post-presidency prosecutions in exchange for immediately being done with a dangerous and unhinged President.

Trump could very well face other state prosecutions not covered by the Federal pardon and the deal with New York State and Georgia law enforcement, but this is a chance he would simply have to take. There is no blanket pardon for all state prosecution. But under this deal, he would be much better off than he is right now. So resignation next week is not as far fetched as it now seems at present.

Plan B, invoking the 25th Amendment, is the second-best option if Trump does not resign in the next few days. It allows removal of an unfit President if the Vice President and a majority of the President’s cabinet agree that the President is mentally unfit to serve. But it is doubtful that Pence, or the remaining lackeys in the Trump cabinet, would perform this duty. But there is another out for Congress. The relevant portion of the 25th Amendment, Section 4, is presented below:

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Under this section, Congress can set up “… such other body as Congress may by law provide …” and do the job that Michael Pence and the cabinet may fail to do. And, in fact, they are doing this today. Congress is setting up a body of 17 professionals consisting of eight medical and mental health professionals and eight former and present cabinet-level professionals, with four chosen by each party. The final 17th member of this group will be chosen by the group itself. And when this group “transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President”, i.e., Pence takes over on the spot and Trump becomes powerless.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Delmar Cooper]

Does President Trump have a golf resort in a country maintains no extradition treaty with the USA?

[Coyote Poetry]

Hello my friend. Trump need to go home. Election is over. Let's hope for better days???
Coyote