Unlike many of my friends, I am today 95% sure that Donald Trump will not stay president beyond the constitutional length of his second term, which will end on Sat., Jan. 20, 2029. Yes, this feels very far away, but I predict there will be an end. A few days ago, the “documentary” Melania had its official screening at the White House. The New York Timesreports on this event:
[Trump] said that “Melania” was “a very important piece of work.”
The piece of work seemed almost beside the point. The night was not about film, it was about power. The whole spectacle was a vivid manifestation of the grip Mr. Trump has on his party and this town.
The upper echelons of Washington’s power structure — cabinet members, senators and the House speaker — all came out in the 14 degree weather to a building that Mr. Trump took control over and then named after himself to help him celebrate this movie that his wife produced about herself.
…
Half the president’s cabinet showed up. There were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. And there was Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the health secretary. The building he was standing in was constructed as a memorial to his slain uncle, President John F. Kennedy. What did his nephew think about Mr. Trump renaming the place “The Trump Kennedy Center”?
What I am curious about is what will happen to Trump, his family, and his enablers after his term ends. Will they spend the rest of their lives defending themselves against endless lawsuits, or will at least Trump himself be allowed to retire as an elder statesman and live in peace in Florida.