WHAT IF TRUMP LOSES THE ELECTION?

Nearly half of Republicans say they won’t accept the results of the presidential election if Trump loses and some of them say they would “take action to overturn” the results. 46% of Republicans wouldn't accept results, and 14% of Republicans said they would "take action."

Only 29% of Republicans said that the electoral process is free from corruption. Only 43% of Republicans believe that votes are counted accurately. There are low levels of trust in the process, particularly among Republicans. So it is like a recipe for potential conflict in the aftermath of the election.”

If Trump were to lose, we might see a 2020 post-election replay with much ranting, raving and contrived evidence. Team Trump will launch accusations of a corrupt, stolen election, cheating, judicial weaponization, illegal voters, foreign interference and rigged voting machines, resulting in legal challenges perhaps all the way to the Supreme Court.  Enemies will be watching for signs of electoral instability, democratic unrest and perhaps even a national security crisis..

That aside, a Trump loss inevitably means an internal civil war within the Republican Party- a “war” that  is inevitable between the all-powerful Trump forces and those who want to move on from the Trump era and win the White House in 2028 without any Trump family members on the ticket.

Like all civil wars, this one could be brutal, because the GOP opposition forces see in Trumpism a political dead-end with a shrinking voter base. Today, identifying as a Republican is not about conservative governing principles but automatic loyalty to Trump, with his MAGA troops in control of the party machinery from top to bottom.

After Trump’s loss in 2020, it became an act of disloyalty for Republicans to deny that Trump actually won reelection. So did the failure to defend or excuse his actions on Jan. 6 or his legal problems. So did the act of backing an alternative 2024 candidate.

If Harris defeats Trump, will he step down as party leader? Probably not. Unlike Biden, Trump will not be pushed aside.