Will He Go?

The 2020 presidential election could cause a constitutional crisis. 

Many legal scholars are concerned about the potential outcome of the November 3, 2020, election. They aren’t just worried that Trump might engineer a victory via Russian interference, voter suppression and “fake news” propaganda, as occurred in 2016. Legal experts wonder what will happen if the election results are too close to call, or if Trump’s volatility, self-interest and disregard for political norms lead him to reject a loss at the ballot box. Either scenario threatens the core democratic principle of the peaceful succession of power and could prompt a constitutional crisis. 

Trump is highly motivated to stay in office, because once he is no longer president, he might face the consequences of multiple ongoing legal actions against him. For example, the statute of limitations for obstruction of justice is five years. Trump could avoid that fallout if he wins a second term and thus gives the statute of limitations time to expire.

Trump is unlikely to adhere to democratic norms. 

Trump...