Can Congress Stop Donald Trump From Becoming President? Probably Not

Well, it's happened, folks. I can't believe I'm actually typing these words, but it looks as though Donald Trump has been elected the next President of the United States. Donald Trump, host of The Apprentice, failed steak salesman, and, best of all, the man who wrestled WWE President Vince McMahon in the "Battle of the Billionaires," has become Commander-in-Chief of this great nation. I know, I know. I can't believe it either. Is there any way to change the results of Tuesday's election, you ask? For instance, can Congress stop Donald Trump from becoming President? Can anyone ever stop the Trump Train? Don't count on it.

Unfortunately Congress is unable to block an elected nominee from taking office as president. There are systems in check designed to (hopefully) reign in The Donald's manic ideas about how to run a country but otherwise, he's golden. Back when the possibility of a Trump presidency seemed like a scary story told to frighten children, Republicans were busy reassuring voters that, sure, their candidate could be called a pugilistic racist who completely loses his mind if he doesn't get what he wants ,but it's OK, Congress will keep him in check. Back in June, Arizona Sen. John McCain (who has since denounced Trump, particularly after Trump said Vietnam POW McCain wasn't a hero because "he got caught") told The New York Times:

I still believe we have the institutions of government that would restrain someone who seeks to exceed their constitutional obligations. We have a Congress. We have the Supreme Court. We’re not Romania.

McCain is speaking, of course, about the checks and balances system in Congress that was designed to keep one branch of the government from getting too powerful. In this system, the president shares power with Congress and the judiciary system. This system is meant to keep the president, who is now Donald Trump, in case you needed reminding, from making unilateral decisions.

However, the Republican Party has already proven that it is simply not up to the challenge of keeping the juggernaut that is Trump in check. Despite the decided lack of support from his own party in recent months, as Trump went tripping through a cacophony of misogynistic, racist, and even simply uninformed comments, Trump became president. He won, as he promised to do from the beginning. He couldn't believe how much winning he was going to do.

For an egomaniac of tremendous proportions like Trump, I predict Congress is going to have their hands full keeping him in line. (If it can.)