So, to sum it up, Donald Trump has no use for:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Democrats (duh)
2. Far Right Congressional Republicans (Freedom Caucus)

Which leaves him more moderate, establishment type Congressional Republicans as his only remaining potential ally. Except said more moderate, establishment type Congressional Republicans have never been that hot on him from the get-go, and only reluctantly went along with him due to the presence of a (R) behind his name.

So how does this play out? I can only see this going one of two ways.

1. Everyone, Republican and Democrat, walks away from the absolute hopeless and dysfunctional cluster that is the Trump White House, and Trump is left alone, angrily screaming and ranting like Detective Alonzo Harris at the end of Training Day. (And if anyone knows the actual plot of Training Day, Trump as Alonzo is a far more literal analogy to what's going on with Trump than what you might think. **Cough cough Russians cough cough**). Trump's policies flounder and flop as the Russia story only grows exponentially. Everyone cuts bait--Democrats relish the notion of a Republican president being impeached, and Republicans would rather take their chances with Pence at the helm.

2. Trump decides he has no real use for the legislative branch as a co-equal and seeks to go an extra-constitutional way. Which would probably require something really, really big as a catalyst, like a major war, terrorist attack or something else equally catastrophic. Steve Bannon's cheering him all the way on to the bunker.

We damn well better see Scenario 1 play out over Scenario 2. But it's just about showtime to see in which direction this country goes.

[winetourdriver01]

1. Deadline

There is a deadline for getting this all sorted out. The midterms. How can we trust future election results? It's bad enough the republicans on their own manage to steal elections with some efficiency, add Putin to the mix and it's "Danger Will Robinson" time.

[atreides1]

2. I think number 2 is more likely!!!

Martial law in the US can be declared by either the Congress or the President. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 15, of the Constitution, Congress has the power "[t]o provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel Invasions." Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, of the Constitution declares that "[t]he President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." Neither constitutional provision includes a direct reference to martial law. However, the Supreme Court has interpreted both to allow the declaration of martial law by the president or Congress.

According to the Supreme Court, the term martial law carries no precise meaning (Duncan v. Kahanamoku, 327 U.S. 304, 66 S. Ct. 606, 90 L. Ed. 688 [1946]).

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, martial law was declared in New Orleans! If Trump decides that a national emergency is imminent, he could legally declare martial law and if the Congress did nothing, it would happen!

I have no doubt that Bannon is looking for a good reason to put martial law in place, and he'll probably find several!!!

[Orsino]

3. No real use for governing.

His first big chance to broker a deal, and he shows himself to be as uninterested as he is in the operation of his own businesses.

He tweets, golfs and shits. That's about it.

[LakeArenal]

4. No use for the Constitution....