# How bad will it be on Inauguration Day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 9, 2021, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098 "2021-01-09T06:40:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/41 "2021-01-10T02:51:32Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > They know what they’re doing, and MAGAts are not very bright. MAGAts may not be very bright but _a_ MAGAT could be. I’ll be the first to say it: weaponized drones. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/42 "2021-01-10T02:55:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Trump told his troops that he will not be their on Inauguration Day Not “their” but “there”. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Latimera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/latimera/32/497_2.png) [@Latimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latimera)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/43 "2021-01-10T03:28:56Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I can’t help thinking about the fact that Indira Gandhi and Anwar Sadat were both assassinated by their own bodyguards. Nitpick: Anwar Sadat wasn’t killed by his bodyguards. He was assassinated by a group of 4 soldiers during an annual military parade. The assassins attacked Sadat from a military vehicle that was in the parade. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/44 "2021-01-10T03:29:26Z")
Well, isn’t this the time for all the moderate and law-abiding conservatives to exercise their influence on their more hotheaded political allies, and sternly remind them that lawlessness and violent terror attacks are bad things and they shouldn’t engage in them? Back when a lot of folks mistakenly believed that radical-Islamist terrorism was a more deep-rooted and serious threat to our society than domestic white-supremacist and militia-nut terrorism, I certainly did hear a lot of demands for moderate Muslims to rein in their violent-extremist brethren. I’m sure that the conservatives who were making those demands will readily recognize their own responsibility to exert a similar moderating influence on their own terrorist fringe. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/45 "2021-01-10T03:46:01Z")
Well, some of the [White House security](https://youtu.be/m88UlPhP7tw) is pretty advanced, almost to the point of being ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/46 "2021-01-10T04:08:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think he declared open warfare with those statements. Noted crazy person Lin Wood has been tossed from Parlar (of all places) for threatening the Vice President. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/47 "2021-01-10T04:17:27Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > oesn’t make what so? Obama wrote in his memoir about a set of emergency instructions he planned to issue to his inauguration crowd in the event of an emergency, for their protection. That’s not the point. Security plans for a high-profile event like a Presidential Inauguration are made by multiple existing government agencies, not the staff of the incoming President. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/48 "2021-01-10T04:34:58Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I was thinking we might see another Oklahoma City at some point. > > The rabble seems like it has the potential to get a gunfight started. They want to start a race war, convinced the military will be on their side. They just need to keep pushing at boundaries until the shooting starts. The military as an institution wouldn’t side with the white supremacist fascists, but sadly lots of police probably would. Then again the police officer who was beaten to death at the capitol building trying to stop the coup was a Trump supporter, but he still did his job. I also wonder what the far right would gain from another Oklahoma city. Bombing a building full of civilians that had a daycare in it didn’t help McVeigh’s movement in the slightest. I’m guessing the MAGA groups will do more targeted forms of domestic terrorism aimed at democrats, non Trumpist republicans, antifa, etc. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/49 "2021-01-10T05:20:56Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I also wonder what the far right would gain from another Oklahoma city. The idea would be that if one creates enough chaos and fear, it creates a situation where the government is considered to be a failure and people will support changing it. You and I know it wouldn’t work like that, but true believers think they have broad support and it just takes a spark to get people to rise up. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/50 "2021-01-10T05:44:18Z")
You can take that up with President Obama. Here’s the context of the quotation from _A Promised Land_. I found it on [Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=9mUKEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA228&lpg=PA228&dq=Obama+%22A+Promised+Land%22+%E2%80%9Cdraft+evacuation+instructions+that+I%E2%80%99d+give+the+crowd+if+an+attack+took+place+while+I+was+onstage.%22&source=bl&ots=vxVmBHYp9b&sig=ACfU3U1MqtfDMCd8vi5du5NniCVQIgG4rg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVrsuq0JDuAhXtGDQIHcVhALMQ6AEwAXoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=Obama%20%22A%20Promised%20Land%22%20%E2%80%9Cdraft%20evacuation%20instructions%20that%20I%E2%80%99d%20give%20the%20crowd%20if%20an%20attack%20took%20place%20while%20I%20was%20onstage.%22&f=false): > The night before, Michael Chertoff, President Bush’s secretary of homeland security, had called to inform us of credible intelligence indicating that four Somali nationals were thought to be planning a terrorist attack at the inauguration ceremony. As a result, the already massive security force around the National Mall would be beefed up. The suspects–young men who were believed to be coming over the border from Canada–were still at large. There was no question that we’d go ahead with the next day’s events, but to be safe, we ran through the next day’s contingencies with Chertoff and his team, then assigned Axe [David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president] to draft evacuation instructions that I’d give the crowd if an attack took place while I was onstage. That’s it. If you want to take it up with Obama, Axelrod, and the rest of Obama’s team, go right ahead. My points in post #21 stand. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/51 "2021-01-10T05:55:05Z")
Not really. The President-Elect, or his advisers, do not write evacuation orders, the GOVERNMENT itself is responsible for security. You can believe what you like, I think you’re mistaken. 🤷‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/52 "2021-01-10T05:57:36Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > The military as an institution wouldn’t side with the white supremacist fascists, but sadly lots of police probably would. Then again the police officer who was beaten to death at the capitol building trying to stop the coup was a Trump supporter, but he still did his job. I don’t think they would but Trumpers tend to believe the military would side with them. Believing that escalating would be advantageous to them could lead to escalation, even if it ends up backfiring for Trumpers. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I also wonder what the far right would gain from another Oklahoma city. Bombing a building full of civilians that had a daycare in it didn’t help McVeigh’s movement in the slightest. I’m guessing the MAGA groups will do more targeted forms of domestic terrorism aimed at democrats, non Trumpist republicans, antifa, etc. What did they gain with the actual OK bombing? From attacks on abortion doctors? On Jewish radio hosts? Didn’t stop them from doing it. The actors who do this are often not acting in a well-calculated way. White supremacists have been dreading/looking forward to a race war since the '60s-'70s. They likely see BLM protests as the start of that race war. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/53 "2021-01-10T06:04:48Z")
Oh, for heaven’s sake. I don’t know what “beliefs” you’re referring to. I quoted an article that quoted President Obama. I provided the context for that article. **I never expressed a belief** other than to say in post #21 that I thought Obama’s concerns were for others, not himself, and were therefore the opposite of Trump’s on 1/6. I even said in post #21 that the Secret Service would probably drag Obama from the podium in the event of an attack. **I never claimed a newly-inaugurated president was in charge of writing evacuation orders**. Never. I don’t know why you’re stuck on this. You think Obama and his team were wrong? Take it up with them. Please quit claiming I said something I didn’t say. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/54 "2021-01-10T09:29:13Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > In retrospect (and frankly, what should have been foresight) the Capitol Police should have pre-coordinated with DC Metro, US Park Police, National Guard, and the interlocking web of interagency support agreements to have a reserve force on standby My understanding is that these agencies and officials proactively reached out ahead of time with these sorts of offers for assistance and coordination, because it would be routine in a heightened-security situation, and were perplexed when their overtures were declined. Obviously this is still very early in a fast-unfolding and very complex event, and what facts we have are pretty squishy. But if there’s anything to this, we’ll find out fairly soon, and it will quickly become a focus of further investigation. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/55 "2021-01-10T10:07:44Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > You can believe what you like, I think you’re mistaken. “Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?” 😀 ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/56 "2021-01-10T10:26:34Z")
I think the reason the military were so slow to react was that they were afraid of being roped into some kind of coup attempt by Trump. They did NOT want Trump giving them orders to interfere with Congress. They did NOT want soldiers or national guardsmen to be manipulated into helping Trump in any way. Nor did they want Congressmen asking them to act against Trump. They were seriously unwilling to get involved in anything political involving Trump and the election. They probably thought that the police and security would be able to handle things, and they just wanted to stay out of it. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/57 "2021-01-10T18:27:25Z")
Biden and Harris should not appear together in public. My advice to the security professionals is don’t be afraid to be afraid. Fear, at this moment, in your greatest ally. Paranoia too. It’s better to be proactive to a hundred threats that don’t materialize than to be blindsided by one that does. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/58 "2021-01-10T18:54:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’ll be the first to say it: weaponized drones. May I draw your attention to this video, which is of a former Secret Service agent talking about Secret Service depictions in Hollywood films: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LkY_BkIb4QA/maxresdefault.jpg "Former Secret Service Agent Reviews Presidential Films, from 'Air Force One' to 'VEEP' | Vanity Fair") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkY_BkIb4QA) The film “Angel Has Fallen” is discussed, in which this exact scenario is employed. You’ll notice the Secret Service agent talks about it as if it is an “emerging threat”. But no way are they not prepared for this. America basically invented weaponized drones and I have no doubt that the agent’s vagueness is deliberate. I am certain they have several means for disabling, hijacking or outright destroying weaponized drones. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/59 "2021-01-10T20:03:35Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > There has been some speculation as to whether Trump was somehow behind the lameness of the security at the Capitol on Wednesday. For example, did he block the deployment of the National Guard? > **[Before Mob Stormed the Capitol, Days of Security Planning Involved Cabinet...](https://www.propublica.org/article/before-mob-stormed-the-capitol-days-of-security-planning-involved-cabinet-officials-and-president-trump)** > > A Pentagon memo offers one version of events — six days of preparation for a rally that quickly spiraled out of control. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098/60 "2021-01-10T20:29:26Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > I am certain they have several means for disabling, hijacking or outright destroying weaponized drones. And I am certain that he hopes that that is the assumption we will make. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-will-it-be-on-inauguration-day/930098.md?page=4)