What Would Happen if the Orange King was Assassinated?

I must admit that the most recent “No Kings” rally in Fort Collins - and rallies across the nation - have been quite impressive.  Cars were parking a mile away from the core of the rally here in Old Town Fort Collins, with attendees carrying cardboard signs and lawn chairs walking by for upwards of an hour.  The best estimates I’ve seen said perhaps 7 million people attended rallies across the country, which is legit around 2% of the population.  

Impressive numbers for a cause that I’m not quite sure what it is!  No Kings! - ok, well, we had an election and now we have a President.  “But he’s acting like a King!” - I would say it more like he’s acting like a child, or a master troll with his sharing of AI poop bombing and king’s crown videos the evening after the rallies.  And - he is playing hardball with ICE and sending the National Guard into DC and select blue cities, and oh the irony of prosecuting Leticia James for federal bank fraud for claiming a 2nd home mortgage on what immediately became a rental. 

If Trump was a volatile personality in the past, he’s become a downright lightning rod in today’s political climate, but is he acting like a king?  I assume the Secret Service has their risk detectors turned up to maximum but it does make me wonder - what would happen if Trump were assassinated?  We’ll need a combination of history and speculation to dig into this one, so join me if you will and we’ll muse together.  

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For those who failed to catch the irony from the lead-in, here’s a link to a BBC article on James’ prosecution of Trump for overvaluing his Mar-a-Lago property on financial statements.  The crime, basically, was that banks made loans (which were already repaid at the time of prosecution) to Trump at lower rates than they would have - had he not fluffed his qualifications.  

Having been a banker for 15 years, I understand that people often attempt to fluff their qualifications, and I assume that the New York bankers got the same lessons.  And - ultimately - isn’t that what much of life and all of politics is about - the fluffing of qualifications?  

“Vote for me - I’ll make us all richer and happier!” - promise.  

It’s funny, when one thinks about the Founding Fathers era, politics had a much different flavor.  Those early patriots had careers and businesses in addition to their public life, and they earned their stripes through public debate and speeches to their constituencies, and favorable newspaper coverage.  

We don’t have newspapers anymore, and neither do politicians debate!  As I write this blog, we’re nearing a month into the government shutdown, and there have been something like 12 votes - and basically no debate. 

Since long before the days of Trump 45, our politics have been broken, with party-line votes on almost every bill of consequence. Even when there has been no clear leadership or agenda - the rank and file must fall in line.  

I think it’s because politicians don’t earn their stripes with debate anymore - most start by getting close to the right money people (at their level - could be local, state, national), and then they stay in office by thinking and doing what the money people want them to think and do.  Why would the money people run for office, when offices are so much easier to buy?  (Yes, this is way cynical, and a bit of hyperbole - but I know you’re thinking of examples right now!)

Does it work the same for protests?

Multiple media reports claim the Soros funded Open Society Foundation to be a major organizer and funder of the protests, along with a Walton heiress, labor unions and others, and they obviously have a pretty strong game to get 7 million marchers.  (Actually, more sitters - it was mostly an older crowd and most of them had lawn chairs as I mentioned before.)  According to Forbes, Trump is big mad about it, but it seems likely to me we’ll have another “No Kings” march in the spring, once the weather is right and if the temperature in our politics goes down too much.   

One thing I’m confident about, is that most of those marchers are sincerely terrified about what Trump will do with the remainder of his Presidency, and that a good many of them would love to see him “taken out” before he can do more harm.  

What would happen, do you suppose?  

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 spells out the legal framework, and by it JD Vance would immediately assume the role of Acting President upon confirmation of death, and then be sworn in for the remainder of the term. If Trump and Vance were “taken out” together, the Speaker of the House (Mike Johnson) would succeed Trump in the same manner, then Chuck Grassley, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and then Secretary of State Marco Rubio - he interviewed for the job before, remember?

Assuming no double-take-outs, Vance would name his chosen Vice President - also the person most likely to be on the ticket with him in 2028.  I dunno - my guess is it would be Rubio - or maybe, with an eye toward the women and MAHA voters - Tulsi Gabbard?  

Also - big news - Trump floated Rubio as a possible successor recently while in Japan, while also ruling himself out as the VP.  Which suggests, coincidentally, that he doesn’t intend to name himself King - or run for a 3rd term as President.  Phew!  

Or maybe - and this would get panties in a bunch all over the country - if Trump were assassinated would JD Vance make Donald Trump Jr. his VP?  I kinda bet he would, and it would cement Trump as a martyr figure and who knows where it goes from there.  Is Jr. qualified for the role - well, not really - but who is really?  

I do believe the social and political consequences would be significant, and likely the intensity of actions to deport illegals and secure borders would only be increased as a response.  And probably, the tit for tat extra-judical prosecutions - I don’t like it either, but it probably would happen.  The elections of 2028 would become the prize for the eyes of both parties, and likely the voter enthusiasm would be high for the Vance/Trump Jr. ticket.  

It would probably come out worse for the causes of the marchers if the Orange King were assassinated, and I don’t like what it would say about our politics going forward.  

So for me and my house, we’ll continue to pray for the health and safety, and especially the discernment of our President, and all of our leadership and citizenry at every level.  May we be wise, open minded, willing to have debates and gain new understandings, and as best we all can - limit the influence of the money people on what we think and do.