Trump files as a candidate for 2020 on Inauguration Day

Was this another "evil genius" move by his handlers, -- or just paranoia on the left?

Let me just say, one casualty of the 2016 election -- I no longer trust ANYTHING I read or see in the media.

Why is that?

Are you taking the position of your buddy Steve?

The most significant impact of this is that he can immediately start accepting campaign contributions. In other words, he is making a road for Americans to bribe him. (Foreigners can still bribe him through his foreign business holdings, the situation being completely unchanged because he hasn't divested himself at all, not even into a blind trust.)

richard09 wrote:

The most significant impact of this is ...

That's a big one, but maybe not the biggest.

Resisterhood wrote:

Even more importantly - completely changes how non profits can handle him. 501c3's cannot "campaign" or risk losing nonprofit status.  It means they can't speak negatively about him. Imagine @PPact having to convey risk to #PlannedParenthood w/ limits on how to address. This throws nonprofits' strategy for next few years into chaos. They must figure out how to work against Trump w/o "campaigning."

In other words, candidates for office have different protections against slander and negative advertising than publicly-elected officials do.  Hopefully SCOTUS will take up a test case on whether POTUS can claim the former protections from Day One of his term. However, such a case is unlikely to be brought before Justice #9 is seated -- and all that implies. Trump does not yet have a majority on the court -- and I sorta doubt they'd rule in his favor under the current configuration.