I am sure you meant heroic victory, the dear leader does not suffer defeats. I think this is actually the most likely option. McConnell is going to be very clear to Trump about what it means to veto the NDAA in an election year. It isn't about morals, it is about absolutely massive amounts of money that goes into GOP coffers from all the defense contractors. That money stops. Instantly. Some of it would probably wind up going to Biden instead, because a Biden Administration isn't going to stop the gravy train, and it isn't going to be crazy enough to veto an NDAA.
Vetoing the NDAA is a deathblow to the GOP. Money is what they have going for them, they have a lot of money to spend this election cycle, and that is the only thing that gives them a chance to not get humiliated come Nov. 4. This ends that advantage.
Zero percent chance he can do this. His political capital is gone. Esper and Milley will rename Fort Benning into "Fort Trump can eat a dick" before allowing that.2) Trump quickly invades Seattle before signing the NDAA preventing him from invading other cities
Based 100% on the massive turnout of his own military against him, I find this unlikely.
You completely misunderstand. Vetoing the NDAA doesn't stop Soldiers from getting a pay raise, it stops Soldiers from getting a paycheck, period. Remember when the government shut down, but the military kept getting paid? It is because military salaries come from the NDAA, and aren't effected by normal budget process. If the NDAA is not passed, there is no money for paychecks. The only exception is the Coast Guard, because they are part of Homeland Security, so had their turn of Trump stealing their paychecks already.3) Trump vetoes the NDAA but doesn't invade Seattle
I think this is the most likely option, because he has two reasons to veto it: so that he can invade cities, and also so he can support the racist slave-owning traitors to our country known as the Confederacy. (At least the slave owners in the Union weren't traitors...which is a pretty low bar to clear)
4) Trump vetoes the NDAA and also invades Seattle
Like you said, troops don't get a pay raise and are ordered to fire on peaceful protestors and looters alike. If Trump's polls took a hit for a photo op, I can only imagine what would happen following a domestic use of lethal force on unarmed civilians. Because if this happens, things will escalate and troops will fire actual metal bullets this time.
It would no longer be possible to claim "Trump's not a dictator" and the world, already backing away slowly, would turn its back and run. I honestly think we'd see sanctions placed against us -- legally.
And I worry about the violence when federal troops uninvited assault a US city. A US city that has its own police, its own National Guard...and most importantly, sympathetic neighbors.
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Honestly race relations is just so much easier when it is just white people. You can solve all the problems really quickly and go play golf all afternoon.