This is something we have never talked about before, 
never talked about before this electoral cycle at least,
but it has come up a couple of times this fall —
once because of health questions raised about Hillary Clinton. 
And then in a more recent context it has come up about Donald Trump 
because Donald Trump has alienated a great number of Republican Party officials,
many of whom have either said they can’t endorse him or they can’t vote for him
or even asked him to voluntarily remove himself – withdraw, step down, resign.
Now, there’s no indication that Donald Trump is considering doing that.
If that were to change there is a process by which the Republican National Committee could replace him.
Now the Republican National Committee consists of three people from each state 
and from each of the territories and the District of Columbia.
Those three people from each of those states and territories would get together – 168 people - 
and they would have a vote as a kind of mini-convention of the Republican National Party.
So, that would arrive at the nominee.
Now, here’s the essential question: can they do that if Donald Trump does not cooperate and withdraw himself?
No.
For all we know, and of course this has never been tested,
the rules of the party say you can fill a vacancy that is vacated by death, declination – meaning withdrawal – or otherwise.
What does otherwise mean? 
It means a vacancy that happens for some other reason.
It doesn’t mean you have license to create a vacancy.
So what else can the party do to weigh in?
What else can the party do to register its unhappiness?
Well, the party has begun the process of re-prioritizing its spending to do less for the presidential ticket
and do more for Senate and House candidates and other Republican candidates state by state.
For all practical purposes, he’s the nominee until he doesn’t want to be,  
as long as he is a living, breathing person on the planet. 
So thanks for coming to my office hours.
