'Lazy coward' Trump doesn't have enough ambition to lead a civil war: columnist

Atlantic columnist Graeme Wood says Americans shouldn't be worried about President Donald Trump launching a civil war if he loses the 2020 presidential race -- but only because he's too much of a "lazy coward" to follow through with it.

Even though the president's rhetoric about the 2020 election is sparking legitimate fears of violence at polling places, Wood believes that the president won't have the attention span or mental fortitude required to lead a violent insurrection against Joe Biden should the Democrat win the 2020 election.

Instead, he believes that Trump is more likely to refuse to concede the election, while at the same time quietly packing his bags and stealing "some White House–branded complimentary toiletries" on his way out the door.

The one problem for Trump, however, is that leaving the presidency could open him up to being prosecuted for offenses such as tax fraud, which is something he's currently being investigated for by the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

However, he predicts Trump could resign after losing the election and then have Mike Pence issue a preemptive pardon for whatever federal charges he might face.

"That seems to be what Trump is preparing now: insurance against a loss, so he can skate past criminal charges and live out the playboy post-presidency he has longed for since taking office," he concludes.