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comment by goobster
goobster  ·  2946 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Moment of Truth: Why We Must Stop Trump

Ummm... please? No?

Actually, had an interesting debate today with someone about a Trump presidency. One of his first two actions would be military, and illegal on many fronts. (Carpet bombing Syria, or targeting known-terrorists' families.)

The military would refuse the order from their Commander in Chief. (Which they are completely within their rights to do.)

And then you have the US Military stronger than the President.

A president who has already proven himself to be a petulant child... so... Military coup replaces Trump?

Weird.





user-inactivated  ·  2946 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    The military would refuse the order from their Commander in Chief. (Which they are completely within their rights to do.)

You think? The UN says they're supposed to, but then the UN says you're not supposed to tortureapply advanced interrogation techniques to prisoners either. I don't buy the military flat refusing anything that comes with any kind of rationale.

    A president who has already proven himself to be a petulant child... so... Military coup replaces Trump?

There is already a mechanism to handle this situation. Congress impeaches Trump, and does so easily because both parties want him gone. No coup necessary.

That said, I doubt Trump means most of what he spews, and while he wouldn't be a competent President, the amount of damage he could do would be limited by the grownups in his own party being as horrified by him as the rest of us. Trump getting elected would be bad, but not apocalyptic.

goobster  ·  2946 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Two quick things because I only have a moment to respond:

1. Yes, all of the commanders in the US Military have already come out publicly against Trump's statements, and have said - unequivocally - that they would not obey these orders.

2. Impeachment is only a black mark on the President's record. Impeachment does not equal "removal from office." Several Presidents have been impeached, and then go back to work in the Oval Office the next day. Removing a sitting President has never been done, and I am not sure off-hand how that process works. (Nixon left of his own accord.)

user-inactivated  ·  2946 days ago  ·  link  ·  
goobster  ·  2945 days ago  ·  link  ·  

"Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as criminal or civil punishment."

Emphasis mine.