…
It’s another example of how Trump and MAGA are attempting to undermine faith in the coming election. Trump lost the popular vote in both 2016 and 2020, so he might be making a preemptive strike at the legitimacy of the results should he lose the popular vote a third time. Still, it’s not clear why he’s telling his supporters not to vote at all. Perhaps it’s another example of the former president and convicted felon’s cognitive decline.
Because— no matter what happens; in his universe, he’s the winner… if he actually wins “see how great I am” — if he loses “see how they robbed us? “
He needs and must be the center of attention and adulation.
See also malignant narcissisms
I think it’s also he can’t stand to lose now. He was fine the first time, it was to launch his brand. Now it would be an insult to him, so he’d rather quit than lose.
Trump only ever escalates, he never deescalates. So no, he would never quit. But you are absolutely right that losing again would be a huge insult to him. Bigger than before.
So no, he would never quit.
I’m no expert, but as of this moment I don’t think he’ll go into the election while trailing. I think he’ll make up an excuse to drop out (liberal elite crossing guards, crooked something, the weather is woke, whatever), and from there he’ll do his original plan to get more right wingers on board to buy his crap while he dodges lawsuits.
I served with a guy like this. He would always put himself at a disadvantage in any contest or game. If he won “he was so good he overcame you even at a handicap”, if he lost “yeah, but even with a handicap it was close”…so annoying.
That’s like the dating strategy Todd Gak had used on Elaine in Seinfeld–he made a bet with her that Dustin Hoffman was in Star Wars, saying he’d buy her dinner if he was wrong. She took him up on the bet, and since he was wrong he bought her dinner. The whole dinner had the makings of a date, though it had never been explicitly called one. It gave him cover, if the date didn’t go the way he liked he could always refuse another one without rocking the boat too much (or he could fall back on the bet excuse if she doesn’t show further interest too)… He’d found a “dating loophole” lol
