Unfortunately political systems are often held together with “tradition” and “gentleman’s agreements”, where conventions dictate how people should behave. Politicians typically followed them because it is seen as the honourable and right thing to do.

However, it seems to be a recent trend among the hard right that politicians just ignore those conventions because:

a) those conventions are inconvenient b) honour means nothing to them, and c) nothing actually enforces those unwritten rules - so there are no consequences for ignoring them

Similar things have happened here in the UK as well. I guess our political systems both assume some degree of good will & trust in its representatives, and it generally turns out that trust is misplaced.

You can't say "no politics intended" and then directly discuss politics. The answer will invariably include politics.

Trump didn't want to be a politician. He wanted to be president. Being a senator or congressman is a job, but being president is a mark of prestige. If he can become president again, he will, because it makes him look good. There's no point for him in taking a lower position with less power.

Trump actually promised to leave us alone if he lost. He also suggested that he'd move to a foreign country.

"If I lose to [Biden], I don't know what I'm going to do. I will never speak to you again," Trump told supporters at a rally in North Carolina.

Trump made similar remarks in 2016 when he rivaled Hillary Clinton for the presidency: "I don't think I'm going to lose, but if I do, I don't think you're ever going to see me again, folks," Trump said. "I think I'll go to Turnberry and play golf or something."

Here's an article to give you a little more context historically :

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/11/16/few-former-presidents-have-run-for-their-old-jobs-or-anything-else-after-leaving-office/

But the answer to your question is probably found in the fact that Trump never ran for any other office, much less served. (I could argue he never served as president either, he only took and had others serve him, but that would be bringing "politics" into it.) He ran as an "Outsider," who was unstained by the inevitable compromises of working with others, who was going to run the country like a business. He did. If you look at how he ran his business affairs, it's pretty consistent with his presidency.

He's got a lot of power still in the Republican Party, without having to spend any time working on legislation or living in DC.

He doesn’t want that. He wants to be the guy who was “wronged” in the last election.

I mean, he’s making bank off of donations just from beating that dead horse. Why work when you can just scream and cry and have people throw money at you?

Also, considering the size of his ego, he probably doesn’t want anything less than being the top guy. That’s all that matters to him.

Another poster said something about a “gentlemen’s agreement”, which isn’t wrong. The US has (generally) tried to maintain the peaceful transfer of power. They didn’t plan on a scumbag throwing a bitch fit to keep that from happening.

He's trying not to go to prison.

In fairness to Trump, he's been pretty busy defending himself from a record number of indictments. Gets in the way of political participation.

Remember when Obama had a different color suit and they all collectively flipped their shit

Presidents don’t generally take a demotion. Why isn’t Obama in Congress?

Especially in Trump’s case, he’s still very much involved in politics, trying to run for another term in 2024. That’s the most impactful move he can make now, and any other long-term commitments would interfere with his campaigning (and all the legal battles he’s part of).

I don't think Trump is the first to run for president after being voted out.

Not running for a lesser office is way more the "unwritten rule".

John Quincy Adams went on to become a Representative for MA in the House and I'd argue was the only real demotion post-presidency.

William Taft went to the Supreme Court after his Presidency (not exactly a lateral move in and of itself) but was the Chief Justice so it's probably close. Then again institutions powers wax and wane over time, so it could be argued that it was a demotion.

Lastly, kind of a bonus factoid of post-presidency activity -- Teddy Roosevelt, after serving a term plus some (edit: he took over the presidency as the VP after McKinley's assassination) and was a Republican. He later ran in 1912 as a candidate for the Bull-Moose Party after a rift in the Republican party when they nominated the above W. Taft instead of himself or another more Progressive Republican.

I don't give af if my president has horrible hair or a terrible fake tan, as long as they have good policies. There's a million bad things to say about Trump but picking on his looks just serves to divide us instead of focusing on real issues. Hell my senator looks like Lurch and wears basketball shorts instead of suits but he's doing great things, so I support him.

Lack of competence, decency, and love for his country?

Troll. No politics intended 🤣🤣🤣👌👍

He already sat in the highest seat. He'd never lower himself to anything below that. To my knowledge, no former-president has ever taken a lower seat in government. Many still find seats of power, but outside the government, I think.

That's after you serve your two terms and essentially retire from politics that you don't get involved. Trump very much wants to return, so he's involved.

Why would he want to? Trump only cares about Trump.

He doesn't need money and has always planned on running for POTUS again. Any other political position would look like a big loss to him.

Can you imagine if a Biden fanboy made a post about how manly and beach ready he is? No, because only a deranged person would say that about any 70+ yo politician.

Trump cultists were literally expending every braincell on fantasy fueled denial.

Putin needs Trump. Trump needs Putin.

Because no one with any decency or wisdom wants or trusts him.