Soft Coup? Meet Acting President Pelosi

[Res Ipsa]

I listened to an interesting presentation by a lawyer who practices constitutional law (mostly first amendment) who sat down with the Constitution and all the relevant election laws to look at how Republicans could arrange a “soft coup” to give Trump a second term. His conclusion: they can’t.

TL/DR As a practical matter, the Speaker and the House Majority can indefinitely stall the acceptance of the vote of electors until Trump’s term expires. When it does, he’s out. So is Pence. With no President and no Vice President, the Speaker of the House becomes Acting President. So, Acting President Pelosi. Or, because the Speaker is selected before the electors are accepted and the Speaker does not have to be a member of the House, it could be Acting President Joe Biden. It’s all perfectly legal and Constitutional, and all the House Democrats have to do is give Mitch McConnell a taste of his own medicine: do nothing.

Don’t take my word for it and don’t take his. Listen to his presentation and sit down with the documents and puzzle it out. The Democrats have a counter to any attempt to do an end run around the votes of the people.

https://youtu.be/I6sVow9l8H4

[Dr Exiled]

Was this really a possibility in the first place? Trump wouldn't last as emperor/president longer than a few days and would probably be imprisoned for treason.

[subgenius]

Was this really a possibility in the first place? Trump wouldn't last as emperor/president longer than a few days and would probably be imprisoned for treason.

treason? how so?
How do you not understand how our government works? I was assuming you were an adult with a basic education.
No wonder you voted Biden.

[Dr Exiled]

Was this really a possibility in the first place? Trump wouldn't last as emperor/president longer than a few days and would probably be imprisoned for treason.

treason? how so?
How do you not understand how our government works? I was assuming you were an adult with a basic education.
No wonder you voted Biden.

Of course. So, what do you think of the Trump as wanting to stage a coup?

[Res Ipsa]

Was this really a possibility in the first place? Trump wouldn't last as emperor/president longer than a few days and would probably be imprisoned for treason.

Well, if you look at 3 U.S.C. 2, it looks possible. All the Trump campaign would have to do is drag the election out until the deadline for appointing electors. Then the electors would be chosen in a manner selected by the state legislature.

If you look at many of the suits filed by the Trump campaign, the relief sought was to stop the counting or block certification of the election. No certification, no appointment of electors by the deadline. It certainly looks like an attempt to prevent states that Biden won and that have Republican legislatures from finishing their elections before the deadline.

I’ve seen Trump get away with many things I would have bet he couldn’t get away with that I think this would have a decent chance of succeeding unless there was a mechanism within the rules to stop it. And it looks like there may be.

But let’s say there wasn’t such a mechanism. The Republicans in Congress have backed Trump to the hilt for four years. If he stays as President, McConnell gets four years of putting unqualified Federalist Society members on the bench. A sizable percentage of Americans already believe Trump won. So who would stop him?

[MeDotOrg]

Just saying "President Pelosi" out loud would probably make a lot of Republicans pause and ask how far down the rabbit hole they wish to tumble.

[Some Schmo]

Just saying "President Pelosi" out loud would probably make a lot of Republicans pause and ask how far down the rabbit hole they wish to tumble.

They don't have the best track record for avoiding idiotic falls they can see a mile away.

[subgenius]

Was this really a possibility in the first place? Trump wouldn't last as emperor/president longer than a few days and would probably be imprisoned for treason.

Well, if you look at 3 U.S.C. 2, it looks possible. All the Trump campaign would have to do is drag the election out until the deadline for appointing electors. Then the electors would be chosen in a manner selected by the state legislature.

If you look at many of the suits filed by the Trump campaign, the relief sought was to stop the counting or block certification of the election. No certification, no appointment of electors by the deadline. It certainly looks like an attempt to prevent states that Biden won and that have Republican legislatures from finishing their elections before the deadline.

I’ve seen Trump get away with many things I would have bet he couldn’t get away with that I think this would have a decent chance of succeeding unless there was a mechanism within the rules to stop it. And it looks like there may be.

But let’s say there wasn’t such a mechanism. The Republicans in Congress have backed Trump to the hilt for four years. If he stays as President, McConnell gets four years of putting unqualified Federalist Society members on the bench. A sizable percentage of Americans already believe Trump won. So who would stop him?

I don't want to split hairs, but while a coup is usually accomplished through violence, it wouls at least require illegal or unconstitutional behavior/action. Are you proposing that Trump's lawsuits are any of these things?
Or are you relying on your "sans mechanism" scenario to create an imaginary coup? And while i appreciate your if pigs could fly justification for the accusation, it doesn't seem to qualify as a "look" at 3 u.s.c 2.
Do you have another stretch?

[subgenius]

treason? how so?
How do you not understand how our government works? I was assuming you were an adult with a basic education.
No wonder you voted Biden.

Of course. So, what do you think of the Trump as wanting to stage a coup?

Sorry, i missed the post where you explained how a charge of treason could be imagined as you described.