Thread by @bansisharma

1. What Will Trump Do Next?

I know. I know. It's not over yet. But play along, if you care to indulge in a bit of scenario forecasting. This is nothing more than reading tea leaves. Treat it as such.

Of course the fraud investigations must continue, with or without Trump.

2. This thread is about Donald Trump, not about President Trump. I have a great deal of respect and gratitude for President Trump for what he has accomplished for the nation over the last four years. I respect what he did, but not always what he says, and I have always said so.

3. So what comes next. At this point I think Trump knows he has lost the election in the sense that the announced result will not be overturned realistically, no matter what happens between now and January 20, 2021.

4. I also think Trump firmly believes, as do millions upon millions of Americans, that the election was stolen from him. So he will never stop saying that.

5. But over and above saying what he believes, Trump is also a very smart man, who doesn't want to waste his time on battles he cannot win. There is always method to his madness. So why will he continue to talk about fraud while still in office? What larger purpose does it serve?

6. Well, I am not sure he is fighting at this point or gaming. What he definitely wants to do is to keep his base engaged and devoted to him, so he can leverage them for his future ventures.

7. All his future ventures will benefit from a large base of devoted followers, whether it is subscribers for his digital platforms, viewers for his TV channel/shows, or voters to fulfill political ambitions of his children. He knows followers give him enormous power to use.

8. I doubt he will run in 2024. For one thing, he will be too old by then. For another, he will get beaten in the primaries. This time his primary opponents will be ready for him. Also, I have to believe he has not enjoyed being President as much as he thought he would.

9. And there is nothing left for him to prove. He will probably be more focused on grooming his children for political office, if he has visions of placing one of them in the White House some day.

10. Now media can make his base disappear slowly, if not overnight, simply by not covering anything his base does. But will it? That depends on whether the media thinks they can use Trump's antics to taint the Republican Party.

11. That is why the media gave him so much free coverage in 2016, thinking they were harming the Republican Party. I am thinking they won't make the same mistake twice, but I am not counting on it. Media is full of dumb f*cks.

12. Enough musing for now about how the future might unfold for Trump. One thing about the future. It never unfolds exactly the way anyone thinks, least of all when it comes to politics. For one things, a monumental political event will take place on January 5, 2021.

The End