Step 1: Start a riot. Step 2: Have everyone call for you to resign. Step 3: Resign. Step 4: Get pardoned. Step 5: Profit.

Strangely plausible.

Allegedly, Trump still isn't going to resign. But he's completely unpredictable, except perhaps to the extent he will do everything humanly possible to cover his own ass.

If Righties are allowed to have their conspiracies rooted in absolutely nothing then I'm allowed to have this one based on Trump's manipulativeness and psychology

Not saying it will happen for sure but it's certainly one possibility. Anybody's guess.

I'll guess that he wants to do a FULL 4 year term, and not resign with just days to go.

Right, I assume he has a huge sense of pride about this but now that he knows a second term ain’t gonna happen, the self-preservation instincts might kick in. If he can find someone else to blame his resignation on (and he always does), then he just might.

Conspiracy theories are rooted in factual evidence. The theorizer knows they might not be interpreting the facts right.

Conspiracy hypotheses are rooted in a desire to blame and scapegoat. The true believer doesn't recognize their own bias and pareidolia.

You are giving him far too much credit. He thinks in terms of getting even, of punching down. He would never trust Pence to pardon him, especially after there is rumor going around he wanted Pence killed during the riot. Probably as an excuse to remain in office.

Yeah, and Pence at this point might not be as willing to carry the bag for him. I assume Pence wants some kind of political future and has taken steps to insulate himself from Trump’s worst scandals.

He WILL NEVER resign. His ego will not allow that. More likely would be Invoking the 25th AND impeachment. Invoking the 25th removes him from office and the impeachment will ensure he can't run again for a federal office. The GOP will support both as it will help the party. Trump has and will continue to destroy the GOP. They know it.

He can't plan more than one step ahead, so I doubt it.

He fully intended for that mob to riot and push the Congress into not accepting the electoral votes as if that would somehow let him stay President.