[Vision2020] What if . . .

[Kenneth Marcy]

On 3/22/20 6:39 AM, Tom Hansen wrote:
> . . . Trump suspends the November presidential election due to 
> national emergency?
>
> Could . . . Would . . . this happen?
>
> (jus’ curious)


Not constitutionally.  There are time limits on one person's service as 
president, and the separation of powers to the states for setting dates 
for elections of senators, representatives, and to the electoral college 
to achieve election results in time for winners to begin their new terms 
at the constitutionally mandated dates. This means that no president may 
extend terms of office beyond the two now allowed without constitutional 
amendments approved by three-quarters of the states.

Despite the fact that Vladimir Putin is now allowed to rule Russia until 
2036, Donald Trump is allowed to be president of the United States of 
America until noon on January 20, 2021, unless individual and electoral 
college voters allow him a second term, which would end, according to 
the current U.S. constitution, January 20, 2025.

If Trump wanted to cancel elections for president and vice president, 
the House of Representatives would choose a president, and the Senate 
would choose a vice-president to serve until the next set of elections 
to be held to choose officers and electors to meet the next 
constitutionally-mandated set of terms of office.  Trump's fantasies 
about following Chinese and Russian leaders into an American presidency 
for life are just that -- fantasies.  Yes, one might fantasize a 
dystopia with appropriate constitutional amendments in place, but I 
doubt even horror writers such as Stephen King would attempt such a 
fiction.  Not only are horror writers unlikely to write such fiction, 
voters are even more unlikely to approve such constitutional amendments.



Ken