Think again if you believe the immediate post-election period will bring relief from the political turmoil that has plagued the nation as seldom before. Whoever wins -- Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump -- the chaos is likely to be as disrupting as it has been the last two years, and maybe more so.

Some time back, Trump said among the first things he would do upon capturing the White House for the Republicans is put Clinton in the slammer -- not a tone that encourages bipartisanship. Republicans meantime have pledged to make her life miserable if she is the winner, going as far as threatening impeachment. No usual honeymoon is even contemplated.

A Trump characteristic is disingenuousness, something Americans will need to get used to if the real estate manipulator pulls off the unthinkable. What he says perishes quickly in an avalanche of denial he ever said it.

Remember now: Trump has promised a steady diet of social disruption to the satisfaction of followers who believe they have been getting the short stick from those who have more and fans who would push for the establishment of the guillotine as the best way for him to turn things around. Trump becomes the male version of Madame Defarge, prepared to lop off as many opposition heads as possible.

The rush to deport the undocumented in this country -- all 11 plus million of them -- will be spectacular if Trump hasn’t changed his mind or softened his position on that too after someone reminded him that such mass disruption might remove most of the laborers needed to build the wall to keep them out, another priority, at least early on.

Of late, he has indicated that he won’t delay eliminating with extreme prejudice the terrorist Islamic State in the Middle East (maybe with his friend Vladimir Putin) and domestically doing the same with the Affordable Care Act, best known as Obamacare. He also wants new legislation overturning Roe v. Wade. All this makes the first 100 days of his presidency about the busiest in history -- if he has allowed himself that much time.

Are you breathless yet?

Trump says he already is searching for potential Supreme Court justices who will genuflect to the Second Amendment and narrow a woman’s right to choose, if not overturn Roe v. Wade.

Hillary’s first months as president could be a text on the subject of “Why in the world did I want this job?” Not only have Republicans made it clear they will resume their long investigation of her State Department tenure, specifically on the email issue, but they have also said they will attempt to block her nearly every effort at running the government, including Supreme Court nominations. Trump still refuses to say whether he will concede her election, and the pundits believe this would be especially true if the election is as tight as now perceived.

Her troubles won’t come just from Republicans. She will face strong demands from her own party’s left. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, her primary nemeses, and his fellow ultraliberal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, expect payment for their post-nomination support, including giving them some say about appointments with the mention of a veto of those she names who are connected to Wall Street.

Meanwhile, even her election would not prevent the FBI and the rest of the professional side of the Justice Department from pursuing not only the email question but also her activities as secretary of state involving her family foundation. Congress is certain to demand a special prosecutor and it would be difficult for her to reject. Any nominee for attorney general would face serious challenges in Congress pertaining to the email questions. Only if Democrats can retake the Senate does she have much chance of avoiding a very rocky beginning.

Some mess, huh?

Well, that’s not all. Issues vital to the nation, such as immigration, tax reform, and health care, most likely would be held in limbo as they have been much of Barack Obama’s presidency. In 2009, the day or so after Obama’s inauguration, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced the GOP would limit its activity with Obama to trying to make sure he was not re-elected. Expect more of the same from Republicans if Clinton makes it. Wake up Wednesday after Election Day knowing the more things change, the more they stay the same.

By Dan K. Thomasson

Dan Thomasson is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service and a former vice president of Scripps Howard Newspapers. Readers may send him email at thomassondan@aol.com. --Ed.

(Tribune Content Agency)