How Far Might Trump Go?

On election night and the days that follow, the country may be in for a roller-coaster ride, with ups and downs that raise and dash expectations, provoking anger and frustration.

Here is a scenario, sketched out by Edward B. Foley, a professor of constitutional law at Ohio State, in his 2019 paper “Preparing for a Disputed Presidential Election: An Exercise in Election Risk Assessment and Management.”

Foley presents a hypothetical widely discussed by election experts — with an outcome that hangs on the willingness of Republican-controlled legislatures to support Trump...