Am planning to watch the debate tonight. (Sometimes my curiosity wins out over self-preservation.) But I will laugh so much if Trump doesn’t even show up. I hope they still let Hillary answer the questions.

citrusella-flugpucker:

tirlaeyn:

Legal Side of Tumblr: Is the GOP allowed to switch out their nominee at the last minute?

((My breadth of legal knowledge is limited to disability law as it applies to education (class I had to take as a preservice deaf ed teacher), but:

https://ballotpedia.org/State_laws_and_party_rules_on_replacing_a_presidential_nominee

“The GOP has no mechanism through which it could force a nominee to leave the race (there is some disagreement on this), but it does have procedures in its official rules outlining the party’s options in the event that its presidential or vice presidential nominee dies or voluntarily withdraws.”

“Could Rule 9 be used to remove a nominee? There are two schools of thought on this. One says no; the other says maybe. It ultimately comes down to a matter of interpretation, and what the rule actually says is less important than what a majority of the RNC’s members interpret it to say. At the center of the debate about Rule 9 are varying interpretations of the word ‘otherwise’ in the rule’s text: ‘The Republican National Committee is hereby authorized and empowered to fill any and all vacancies which may occur by reason of death, declination, or otherwise [emphasis added] of the Republican candidate for President of the United States or the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States.’”

TL;DR: No? Maybe? Who knows? (The linked article also describes stipulations for Hillary replacement and nominee certification deadlines. I kept to the GOP (Trump-specific, even) sections because you asked about the GOP.) Since the certification deadline has passed in pretty much every state with a clearly defined deadline, I get the feeling a replacement wouldn’t happen unless there was a major emergency, like death or something.))

Thank you!