To punish GOP U.S. House Reps who voted for his most recent impeachment and to discourage any GOP Senators from voting to convict, trump has threatened to start his own political party. In trump’s onanistic cosmos, his is the only hand for the job.

To start a “new” political party takes more than to simply declare it exists, and, voila, it has slots on the ballot. Each States’s laws vary. Indiana recognizes two “major” political parties, the two that receive the most votes in the most recent election for Secretary of State. I.C. 3-5-2-30.

The next election for SoS is in 2024. Meanwhile, independent parties and candidates must collect signatures on petitions for specific office races. You probably have encountered people with clipboards who ask for you to sign for a candidate to be on a ballot.

A lot of hours and labor go into an independent candidate’s effort simply to get on the ballot. Local election boards, comprised of - surprise! - members of the two major political parties, routinely reject signatures. If trump scares GOP leaders, surrender of the party is not so simple.

Each State has its own GOP. These are not-for-profit (NFP) corporations. Indiana’s was incorporated by Citizens United attorney James Bopp, Jr. In previous blogs I have noted the ways in which the Indiana GOP’s structure secures control of the party by its insiders. This is wrong.

A political party should not be a corporate entity with a board of directors difficult to dislodge. This is a corporation that runs our government. Then again, there might be some solace if even a few State parties say “no” to trump and force him to start a new party. We seriously should doubt such resistance. After all, party leaders thought they could control trump. Right.

There are four other considerations. If trump is convicted by the Senate he might be barred from public office. If he is prosecuted, by a State or the Feds, he could go to prison. Or the Russians and the Saudis are prone to give refuge to fugitive former autocrats.

The last of those four: trump is lazy. He probably shot his mouth off about forming a new party. If he does get people to form one, they are highly unlikely o\to file all the paperwork in all the States in time.