I would just like to know if it is possible to remove the trackers so the torrent does not connect to any?
In the load transfer window, if I remove trackers from the torrent there, it works perfectly.
However, if it is a magnet link, it loads some trackers already during the metadata transfer phase, and if you remove the trackers in the load transfer window, it removes them, but download still connects via connections from trackers previously loaded.  Any way around this?

I think there's no need to completely remove all trackers. In Settings > Transfers > Trackers set "Multi-tracker announce mode" to "First working group". This will ensure to use first working tracker from each torrent. Usually that means only one - first tracker will be used.

If you insist on removing all trackers you can do it with "Individual tracker options". Click Edit, go to Remove From New and use a pattern that will match all trackers. I guess regex:.* will do but haven't tested it. Alternatively you can use Skip Announce instead, it is even better because trackers won't be removed completely just not used.

Thank you Pete.

Since I stopped tying to get this right ages ago, I didn't bother going back to the Individual Tracker Options since I could never get it right.
I was sure to use the wildcard, but never quite knew the format.  So,  "regex: .*" did not work, but "regex: *" did.