
<p>As it is becoming increasingly clear that President Trump is unlikely to win the Republican nomination for President, there ae reports that he is exploring the possibility of running as an independent. ; That is not likely to get him elected – far from it. ; He would likely come in a distant third regardless of who the Republican or Democrat standard bearers might be.</p>



<p>There is only one reason for such a venture. ; Trump would want to punish the political party that denied him the nomination. ; He would rather see Democrats retain the White House – with all their left-wing policies that he claimed to oppose.</p>



<p>It would be institutionally what he often does on a personal level – turn on allies and supporters who do not yield to his latest demand.</p>



<p>It would be proof that Democrats were correct when they claimed that Trump has no foundational political principles. ; He would have no fealty to the political party that enabled him to be President of the United States.</p>



<p>Like a political chameleon, Trump took on the mantel of a conservative to blend in with the environment that accommodated his ambition to be President. ; Fortunately, he did a lot of good things while serving as a conservative Republican – despite the abjectly negative picture painted by Democrats and their media mouthpieces.</p>



<p>Conservatives can commend Trump for the appointments to the Supreme Court – and the lower federal courts. ; Despite his bellicose rhetoric, he strengthened NATO by getting other member nations to meet their financial obligations. ; He (Jared Kushner) negotiated the unprecedented Abraham Accords. ; He got North Korea to stop missile testing and return the remains of American MIAs. ; He cut a lot of bureaucratic red tape and launched one of the strongest economies in decades. ; He was building the wall and reducing illegal border crossing. ; His policies brought economic benefits to America’s inner cities not seen since World War II.</p>



<p>Apart from Trump’s policy of achievements, however, the Republican brand has suffered because of his pugnacious personality. ; He failed to win a majority of Republican voters in the 2016 GOP primaries. ; He failed to win the popular vote in 2016 – a year that should have been a Republican tsunami. ; He lost the House by a wide margin in 2018. ; He lost the Senate in 2020. And he tamped down the red wave that was heading into the 2020 election. ; No matter what you think of the 2020 presidential election, Trump is not sitting in the White House today. ; ;</p>



<p>Trump’s legacy – his reputation as a conservative President – would be instantly trashed by an independent bid that was openly and blatantly designed to defeat the Republican candidate. ; If that candidate were to be Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump’s toxic tendency for rabid retribution would be even that much more obvious.</p>



<p>Trump could have endured the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” had he not contributed to his own toxicity – and his own declining popularity. ;</p>



<p>Running as an independent would be his final political act of political masochism. ; Unfortunately, he would have the potential of destroying the Republican chances of winning the White House. ; I say “the potential” because I think there is a good chance that running as an independent would not work. ; The Republican candidate could still win. ; Votes he would take away from the Republican candidate for President may be offset by independents and even Democrats who would vote Republican to punish and repudiate Trump.</p>



<p>There is another thing that could prevent Trump from winning – or even becoming – an independent candidate. ; It cannot be done alone. ; Even an independent candidate needs money … lots of (seasoned) staff … and thousands of campaign workers across the country to get on the ballot. ; He may have the money, but even that is questionable – and would Trump want to expend such a huge some of his own money on such a losing venture? ; He is not known for his generosity in that regard – and he will need most of that money to defend himself in all those court cases.</p>



<p>Trump’s only sensible course of action is to set aside his presidential ambitions, deal with his court cases and attempt to refocus public attention on the positive portions of his legacy.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Trump Running as Independent in 2024?
