Can you be a bit more specific?

The healthy economy that Trump inherits undergoes a sudden shift for the worse even as tax cuts and tax amnesty for offshore funds (temporarily) flood the treasury with cash. Even as the safety net is weakened by new laws, legal protections for workers and others are further limited by the courts and congress. Despite majorities in both houses of Congress, however, and despite a less-than united Democratic opposition, most of Trump's agenda ends up tied up in the Courts, despite his freshly-minted majority on the Supreme Court, which is not wholly supportive of many of the new changes to the law passed by congress.

As for the ACA, after getting off to a somewhat slow start, the repeal effort picks up speed until it is stymied in the Senate; too many Senators from states like Ohio and Kentucky, which have successful state health insurance exchanges, refuse to vote for repeal until a replacement plan is available. Republicans can agree that the final plan should be very insurance company-friendly, but on little else, and the matter ends up stuck in committee.

Internationally, Trump's inauguration is treated by the markets and political class much as Brexit was - panic, followed by gradual accommodation. Victories by nationalist candidates in Europe, such as Marine Le Pen in France, bolster Trump's arguments, and by the spring of 2018, the two leaders announce a new treaty with pulls France and the US out of NATO, and recognizes the Crimea as an 'autonomous state' separate from Ukraine, in return for a Russian promise not to pursue further claims in Ukraine. The Ukrainians themselves disagree, but are ignored.

The Chinese economy worsens, and China's leaders decide to choose western investment over sabre rattling in the China Sea. To the dismay of most of the Pacific Rim, the Chinese negotiate a new trade agreement with the US more favorable to themselves than the TPP, which Trump and the Republicans treat as a Diplomatic coup.

In Iraq, Trump's promise to send 40,000 troops to Iraq is undermined by the sudden disintegration of Isis, which seems to disappear overnight. Trump is able to play this as a huge win for himself (despite having done, literally, nothing). Trump withdraws US support from all anti-Syrian forces, and the Syrians and Russians end that civil war by bloody conquest barely six months later.

The midterms are not as bad for Trump as the sagging economy might predict; at this point Trump experiences the best poll numbers of his first term.

But from early 2019 on, the Trump administration's scandals and overreaches begin to pile up. The Democrats nominate a young unknown to be their standard bearer, who combines Sander's idealism, Obama's pragmatism and a lot of folksy charm to present a formidable challenge to Trump, who emerges from his primaries seriously bruised by challengers from the right. "Unknown" emerges the victor in 2020, and the Democrats, bolstered by unexpected turnout by young and latino voters, retake the Congress and White House.

Trump retires and builds Trump Museums in Queens, Florida and Los Angeles. His former empire is in shambles (owing to terrorist threats against his properties), but he is nevertheless able to live comfortably due to the success of his book and subsequent movie, both titled: "Trump". He is divorced from Melania in 2023, and never remarries. His daughter Ivanka runs for president in 2032, but washes out in the primaries.

- Balthasar

What's your definition of politically correct, Mopshell?

Queen Trump? OK, now that's going to give me nightmares...

Heh.

-CW

Just went back and answered comments for the whole week, just for everyone's info...

-CW

He becomes an outsider in his own Presidency, sniping at the cabinet and congress, stepping in to right some egregious wrong every so often, but otherwise giving no direction and little or no involvement. Pence basically runs domestic and foreign affairs (sound familiar) while Donald goes on vanity tours on Air Force 1. Basically he turns the Presidency into the role of the Queen in Britain.

And, having seen Trump in action for the last many months, I am sure that he would turn a resignation into a glorious moment for himself.

See, I just knew I'd forget one...

You're right, it has to be considered at least a possibility. I've heard this from a number of Dem friends, but don't know that I'd put a very high probability on it personally. Sure, Trump could "pull a Sarah Palin," but I think his ego wouldn't allow him to quit. That's just my impression, I could very well be wrong, but unless caught in some massive personal scandal himself, I seriously doubt Trump would step down.

But, my feelings about probability aside, I should have at least covered it, you are right.

Mea culpa.

:-)

-CW