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“Could you imagine if I lose?... I’m not going to feel so good. Maybe I’ll have to leave the country, I don’t know.”

That quote is the first instance that I know of, of Trump publicly acknowledging not only the possibility of an election loss, but that he would accept such an outcome. A peaceful transistion of power.

This is significant in and of itself; a glimmer of hope.

No calls for militias and "2nd Amendment people" to stand back and stand by, no hints of taking the election to the Supreme Court. Trump is perhaps talking of assylum in a foreign country. (Putin will have no more use for him, but Rocket Man in North Korea might welcome him, until Trump's money ran out anyway.) One wonders if his children are packing their bags as well.

As a taxpayer, I would be happy to pay for a plane, not Air Force One, standing by ready to take the Trump family anywhere they wanted to go. I would carry their luggage.

The State of New York and SDNY federal prosecutors could still bring indictments, so the Trump family would know that if they ever set foot in the US again, they would be immediately arrested.

That last is just a Saturday morning fantasy, but it's the first good fantasy I've had about the Trumps.

I've voted. Have you?

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Actually Putin would welcome whatever intelligence trump the traitor would be willing to share. Remember when he invited Lavrov and other high Russian officials into the Oval Office, and when he disclosed top secret weapons development? Putin’s People will pump him dry and let him rant and rave on social media in his Sochi villa

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If he’s saying this publicly now, he’s already been thinking about it and has likely already made some sort of a plan and brokered a deal to go somewhere that likely has *already* included providing sensitive information. He may not be smart enough to plan ahead but the people around him are. Or, maybe he is but just when it involves crooked actions that benefit himself. He and his sycophants always operate on that despicably low level so I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t already sold national secrets to buy themselves an escape hatch.

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It’s called treason In addition to the high crimes and misdemeanors he was already impeached under. The public conversation appears to forget that he was impeached and stayed in office with quisling sycophant GOP senators refusing to hold him accountable. Susan Collins: did he learn his lesson? Maine voters will tell you in two weeks whether you learn yours

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Quisling. Yup.

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Oh, I think quite a few of those around him, his enablers etc. will be wide-eyed in the end, ‘Trump who?!?!’ He will lose most of their loyalty before the end... like what are Pompeo and Barr thinking these days?

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You give him way too much credit... he just throws so much ‘s@it’ against the wall, all the time, some of it is bound to stick. But ‘Tomorrow, ‘Tomorrow ..... you know what I mean....

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Seth Dunn you just sent a shiver down my spine. I never considered the possibility he would leave the US and market his very exclusive knowledge of our country's secrets to Putin. My only comfort is that he would probably get everything wrong and some Russian schmucks would have to listen to an endlessly rambling de-brief. But it begs the question: Is there any way to prevent him from taking this "intelligence" offshore?

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Maybe to immediately indict and declare him a flight risk

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And take away his cell phone? He has been chatting privately with Putin all along.

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My thoughts exactly. He has no friggin clue about the what’s and why’s and how’s, he a bumbling blowhard bent on performance... he has no clue. Putin will grow tired of talking to someone who speaks only in ‘bumpers stickers’!

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That thought made me chuckle.

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Don’t worry. Trump knows little, if anything. He never reads the intelligence briefings, never pays attention in meetings. He’s an empty suit, of little value to Putin once he’s out of office.

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Trump out of office is of little value to Putin, other than if still in hand, to braggingly parade “Putin’s piglet” before the Russian sphere of influence.

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He will mix up any intelligence briefings (if he were to read or listen) with QAnon rubbish

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Do we really think Putin doesn't already know anything of value that Trump might know? Bolton, McMaster and a long list of top security personnel have feared the unprecedented access and deference shown to Putin. Unfortunately it continued unabated. None of the Trump enabled Giuliani back-channel-dealings bear the imprimatur of 'secured US negotiations'. Plus, we-the-people have no idea what has taken place in all the Trump-declared "private" Putin meetings and phone calls they've had. Oh, and continuous use of his unsecured cell phone. I'm sure many have something more to add.

The primary goal of Russia has been to undermine and destabilize our democracy and, to that end, Trump has contributed admirably. But I believe the 'bromance Trump so relishes has been one-sided and, post-defeat, Putin will feel toward Trump as we do toward his "quisling sycophant GOP senators" (love that phrase, Seth!)

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Actually I see it as more of a last ditch effort, speaking to his cult, to manipulate them to feel bad for him and vote for him. “I’m going to feel so bad I’ll have to leave the country. Poor me.” Trying to hang onto his cult, with a threat of abandonment.

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That’s exactly what it means. EVERYTHING that comes out of his mouth is to manipulate in some way. He’s pathetic.

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Perhaps, though the Cult, the Mob, will vote for Trump regardless. The statement is still a significant departure from his previous inflammatory rhetoric.

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Less than 12 hrs between receiving ballot ('mail-in ballot only' state) and delivery to official County drop box. I took a photo.

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We have ours and will vote this weekend and deliver them to a secure drop box....Oregon.

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A “glimmer of hope” That he would accept losing, yes BUT to which country would he go? Now THERE’S a security risk to think about. And yes I definitely appreciate the optimistic news And perspectives from Heather, and from commentators here. I need that!

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If he’d flee America, at least we wouldn’t have to pay for Secret Service protection. Nor would we have to pay for a Trump Library. Trump Library—doesn’t that conjure up thoughts of irony, oxymorons, non-sequitors, contradiction of terms? Really, I wonder what would be included in a Trump presidential library...

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Eeeuuuuwwww

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I was with you all the way up to a 45 library. Can we, the people refuse to fund that?

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Very well stated, Mr. Ralph! That one line gave me a glimmer as well. The collateral damage and repair afterwards is what I’m curious about.

I definitely voted and I’m in one of those states he’s eyeing to contest!

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Hey, Ralph. Yes, I voted! I would agree to a taxpayer expense to have 45 and family depart the country. I would not feel comfortable taking them anywhere they wanted to go, though.

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Not yet. On Election Day!

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