Will Trump say no to peaceful transfer of power? Here's what happens if he loses to Biden but refuses to leave WH
Americans are forced to consider an extraordinary scenario in which President Donald J Trump loses but refuses to concede the 2020 election. The incumbent president has suggested multiple times that he may not accept the results of the 2020 election, sparking alarm over whether he may actually refuse to step out of the White House. Trump has also refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power over the past six months and has suggested he will lose only if the election is rigged by the Democrats, The Guardian reported.
While the former real estate mogul refused to make the same commitment in 2016 as well, he now has more scope to claim election results can't be trusted owing to an expectation of delays in the result this year. According to the report, he might even claim victory before enough votes are counted for a decisive outcome. Trump could also exploit the potential for confusion that is further exacerbated by laws that prevent early processing of ballots. As a result, some key battleground states may face delays in announcing results, thereby increasing the chances for a candidate to wrongly claim an early victory.
Beyond vote counting, Trump sounding the alarm over the potential for voter fraud could also further muddy the waters. The president has urged his supporters to closely monitor the polls and report anything foul play. This could also result in several legal actions against states as lawyers could attempt to rule ballots — especially mail-in ballots — illegitimate, as per The Guardian. However, it later emerged that if lawsuits dragged on past January 20, neither Trump nor Biden would be sworn in as the president, in which case the Speaker of the House shall serve as acting commander-in-chief.
According to the US Constitution: “If, by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, inability, or failure to qualify, there is neither a President nor Vice President to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall, upon his resignation as Speaker and as Representative in Congress, act as President.” Such a scenario, therefore, would result in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assuming the presidency.
In the far-fetched situation that Trump refuses to accept his loss despite Biden winning the election and barricades himself inside the White House, it is not clear who would be responsible to remove him, according to The Guardian. In June, Biden said the military would remove Trump if he refuses to leave the White House premises. “I promise you, I’m absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch," he told the Daily Show.
However, the military doesn't seem to agree. Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the nation's top military officer, has made it clear that service members would not be involved in such a transfer of power. “In the event of a dispute over some aspect of the elections, by law US courts and the US Congress are required to resolve any disputes, not the US Military,” Milley said. “We will not turn our backs on the constitution of the United States.”
