What If?

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

History, Science, Documentary, Natural Sciences, Society & Culture

4.6 • 44.5K Ratings

🗓️ 23 October 2020

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There’s plenty of speculation about what Donald Trump might do in the wake of the election. Would he dispute the results if he loses? Would he simply refuse to leave office, or even try to use the military to maintain control? Last summer, Rosa Brooks got together a team of experts and political operatives from both sides of the aisle to ask a slightly different question. Rather than arguing about whether he’d do those things, they dug into what exactly would happen if he did. Part war game part choose your own adventure, Rosa’s Transition Integrity Project doesn’t give us any predictions, and it isn’t a referendum on Trump. Instead, it’s a deeply illuminating stress test on our laws, our institutions, and on the commitment to democracy written into the constitution. This episode was reported by Bethel Habte, with help from Tracie Hunte, and produced by Bethel Habte. Jeremy Bloom provided original music. Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate. You can read The Transition Integrity Project’s report here.

Transcript

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0:00.0	All right. Okay. Here we go. Test, test, test. Check, check, check. Hey, this is Annie McEwan. Hey, this is Simon Adler. Hey, this is Lotte Fnasar. Hello, this is Lulu. Jad. This is Tobin. Ariane Wack. Tracy. Hey, this is Pat. Hey, this is Dylan. Hey, this is Sarah. This is Rachel Cusick. This is Becca Bressler and some crows. This is Matt.
0:21.6	This is Molly Webster currently sitting out on my fire escape. Hey, this is David. Hey, this is Jeremy. This is Susie. This is Soren, and I make radio lab. And I make radio lab. I make radio lab. I make radio lab. This is the team that makes radio lab. Really, every one of us has a hand in creating the show.
0:37.7	We're the ones who stay up with you all night.
0:40.4	Hi, my name's Kenney. This is the team that makes radio lab. Really, every one of us has a hand in creating the show.
0:37.7	We're the ones who stay up with you all night.
0:40.5	Hi, my name's Kendra.
0:42.5	I'm calling from Denver, Colorado.
0:44.9	And I can't sleep because I miss my mom.
0:50.0	We report on social unrest.
0:52.8	This copacony of police sirens,
0:55.0	people chanting.
0:59.0	And then all of a sudden...
1:03.0	In my room...
1:07.0	The song that was playing was Backlash Blues by Nina Simone, and I was like, whoa.
1:15.2	So Mr. Backlash, what is going on?
1:18.8	We report on the police.
1:20.7	I'd grown up thinking that my government was found by the loss and that it was just and fair.
1:28.8	But all of a sudden, when I needed you the most,
1:32.9	turned you back on me and my family.
1:35.9	We bring you the latest science about COVID.
1:38.8	March 23rd, 2020.
1:41.9	Hi, this is Dr. Mitro.
	...

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