What If Trump Refuses to Give Up the Presidency?

Mass protests may be the only way to force him out

With Capitol Hill in the background a crowd fills the streets on Washington, during the Women’s March on January 21, 2017. Photo: Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Imagine this: It’s November 3, 2020. The polls just closed. Millions of Americans are glued to televisions and smartphones, eagerly awaiting the election results.

The maps start turning blue. At 1:32 a.m., NBC News calls the race. The Democratic nominee is on track to secure a 2% popular vote lead and a narrow Electoral College win by taking back Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Other networks follow. But the New York Times, the Associated Press, and Fox News say the race is still too close to call.

Then, Donald Trump starts tweeting. Maybe it will look like this:

(Editor’s note: This is not a real tweet. It was produced via faketrumptweet.com.)

Media outlets that called the election just a few minutes earlier start debating whether or not Americans will accept the results as legitimate. And suddenly, America has its first president who refuses to concede an election.

Or, imagine the ongoing impeachment investigation continues to uncover more and more wrongdoing. The House votes to impeach Trump and the Senate holds a trial. Republican senators finally crack under the intense public…