# How does inauguration work if the president-elect is in prison? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [June 2, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-inauguration-work-if-the-president-elect-is-in-prison/1002402 "2024-06-02T00:40:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-inauguration-work-if-the-president-elect-is-in-prison/1002402/41 "2024-06-03T00:47:35Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Not when it comes to state matters, such as he’s been through in New York, or as he will go through in Georgia. There is a separation of powers between the US federal government and the state governments, and the federal government does not trump (ha!) state governments in matters under state jurisdiction. Nor can it. > > I could be wrong, however. IAAL, but I am not a US lawyer. Legally, I think you are correct. But in practice, even New York is conceding that the federal Secret Service can violate state prison policies regarding outsiders being in the prison. A dramatic example: [While firearms are strictly prohibited in prisons, the agents would, most likely, nonetheless be armed.](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-prison-secret-service.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w00.EPyy.zTpB_fOWSdsU&smid=url-share) This is a dangerous idea. Violence-minded prisoners, outside Trump’s unit but in the compound, will spend all day thinking how they might get one or more of the Secret Service guns in their possession. But if the feds believe guns make a prison safe, and Trump agrees, the states will bow down and let them. As for Georgia, it has a Republican governor and legislature. So they are even more likely to do anything the federal government says so long as Trump wants it. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-inauguration-work-if-the-president-elect-is-in-prison/1002402/42 "2024-06-03T01:40:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@bump](#): > > > > Doesn’t seem like he can really govern from inside, > > Organized crime has done it. And they’ve done it without legal access to cellphones, email, phone usage outside of designated times and both a monthly limit on usage and a short time limit per call, and only being allowed visitors for a very limited amount of time and only on designated days. All of those would be waved for TFG. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Based on the Coolidge precedent, a notary public would suffice. New York prisons provide notary services for inmates through the law library. > > So Inmate Trump would have to fill out a law library request form and drop it in the law library box (which is usually in the mess hall). Now that was funny. > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > But in practice, even New York is conceding that the federal Secret Service can violate state prison policies regarding outsiders being in the prison. A dramatic example: > > [While firearms are strictly prohibited in prisons, the agents would, most likely, nonetheless be armed.](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-prison-secret-service.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w00.EPyy.zTpB_fOWSdsU&smid=url-share) > > This is a dangerous idea. Violence-minded prisoners, outside Trump’s unit but in the compound, will spend all day thinking how they might get one or more of the Secret Service guns in their possession. But if the feds believe guns make a prison safe, and Trump agrees, the states will bow down and let them. The feds don’t believe they make a prison safe; they believe it makes an ex or current president safe. And there most certainly are guns at prisons, the guards performing their duties inside prison just don’t carry them on their person outside of a serious riot for obvious reasons. You’re making it sound like TFG would be held in general population with secret service agents surrounding him while they’re surrounded by prisoners. That’ll never happen. Prisons already have facilities for inmates who are at risk to other inmates or who pose a risk to other inmates. Worst case (for TFG) is he’s housed in solitary confinement, in a wing that has been cleared of all other prisoners to further increase his isolation from other prisoners. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-inauguration-work-if-the-president-elect-is-in-prison/1002402/43 "2024-06-03T01:47:42Z")
Throw him in a double-wide in some unused corner of a state facility. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-inauguration-work-if-the-president-elect-is-in-prison/1002402/44 "2024-06-26T21:48:41Z")
True, but a mob boss doesn’t have to follow the complicated regulations that apply to securing official government secrets. He could decide that Luca Brazi will keep the nuclear football in his apartment. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-inauguration-work-if-the-president-elect-is-in-prison/1002402/45 "2024-07-03T14:14:40Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Throw him in a double-wide in some unused corner of a state facility. 10’x60’ mobile home. Still much better than most prisoners get. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-inauguration-work-if-the-president-elect-is-in-prison/1002402.md?page=2)