# What's Trump's plan for the looting and rioting if he wins? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 2, 2020, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623 "2020-09-02T18:55:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/1 "2020-09-02T18:55:12Z")
Say he wins. The democratic local leadership is still going to exist. Is he, the moment he gets reelected, simply going to disregard them and steamroll these areas with the national guard? If not, what is he going to do any different than what’s happening now? If so, why hasn’t he done it already? I don’t see what his game plan is. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/2 "2020-09-02T18:57:15Z")
_What_ “game plan”? Trump wants to be the LEADER…even if he is the leader of the biggest clusterfuck in history. That is all there is to it. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/3 "2020-09-02T19:01:25Z")
POTUS does not control the National Guard. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/4 "2020-09-02T19:03:45Z")
He doesn’t care about any of that stuff beyond how it will aid his reelection. If that does occur, Og forbid, he will probably ignore it. It’s this year’s version of the caravan. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/5 "2020-09-02T19:07:09Z")
Yes, he does. The NG is now part of the Army reserve. Altho State governors can request NG troops, the Prez is the CinC. Trump will blame it on the democrats, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/6 "2020-09-02T19:11:27Z")
He’d certainly try to steamroll it to the best of his ability. Why wouldn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/7 "2020-09-02T19:14:39Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Say he wins. The democratic local leadership is still going to exist. Is he, the moment he gets reelected, simply going to disregard them and steamroll these areas with the national guard? He’ll do nothing substantial. Why would he? The election will be over. He’s done nothing substantial on any file even facing re-election. He just talks and does the bare minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/8 "2020-09-02T19:16:58Z")
Planning does not seem to be his strong suit. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/9 "2020-09-02T19:19:15Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > POTUS does not control the National Guard. “The President shall be commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, **and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States**.” (Article II, Section 2, U.S. Constitution) I am under the impression that each state’s National Guard is considered its militia for this purpose. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/10 "2020-09-02T19:29:18Z")
Thanks, folks; I appreciate the correction. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/11 "2020-09-02T19:34:29Z")
He certainly _seems_ to want to use the national guard though. Every time it’s been requested he’s used it. I can see the rationale to waiting to use it in spite of democratic leadership’s wishes before the election cause all hell might break loose even worse than now, but I do believe he’d do it if he thought he could get away with it. I guess what I’m asking is, has he SAID what he’d do, on camera or otherwise, to stop the rioting and looting, should he win? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/12 "2020-09-02T19:57:42Z")
He will do his best to foment unrest while strong-arming peaceful protesters. In other words, he’ll stoke more protests in the hope of finally achieving his heart’s desire - becoming the authoritarian leader he’s wanted to be every since dumb fucking luck and 63M dumb fucking MAGATS got him elected POTUS. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/13 "2020-09-02T20:01:03Z")
Yep. wiki "_In 2006, Congress passed the [2007 National Defense Authorization Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Warner_National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2007), which gave the president the authority to mobilize National Guard units within the U.S. without the consent of state governors_ ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/14 "2020-09-02T20:01:44Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > I guess what I’m asking is, has he SAID what he’d do, on camera or otherwise, to stop the rioting and looting, should he win? Again, why would he? This is how he thinks he’ll motivate those who might have been turned off by his incompetence. Stocking fear among republicans of rioting liberals and minorities is the ace up his sleeve. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/15 "2020-09-02T20:40:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, he does. The NG is now part of the Army reserve. Altho State governors can request NG troops, the Prez is the CinC. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > “The President shall be commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, **and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States**.” (Article II, Section 2, U.S. Constitution) I am under the impression that each state’s National Guard is considered its militia for this purpose. The state governors are the CinC of the state National Guards, unless the National Guard has been “federalized”, which means that particular National Guard becomes a literal part of the active-duty US federal military and is subject to the orders of the President. And, as such, is bound to the laws governing the standing military, like the Posse Comitatus act, which doesn’t bind the state National Guards. If the NGs of the various states aren’t Federalized, they remain squarely and completely under the command of the states’ governors, and the President has no authority except to federalize them. The Feds just basically set standards and help fund the NGs in peacetime. That’s why, for example, why President Kennedy was able to show George Wallace who was boss in 1962, by federalizing Wallace’s own Alabama National Guard and having them force Wallace out of the way to let black students into the University of Alabama. So in this case, Trump would need to federalize the National Guards of whatever states, AND have a legal enough reason to employ Federal troops domestically for law enforcement purposes- there is a lot of legislation intended to prevent that. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/16 "2020-09-02T20:54:10Z")
That depends on how strong his hand is in Congress after the election. If the Republicans still control the Senate, he’ll try to get some Trump loyalists there to investigate and go after Antifa, BLM, and the anarchists along with their “sympathizers” in the government and media. Then, he’ll step away and let his stooges in the Senate deal with it so when it goes sideways, he can wash his hands of them and say they were overzealous and incompetent. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/17 "2020-09-02T21:01:05Z")
wiki " _In 2006, Congress passed the [2007 National Defense Authorization Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Warner_National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2007), which gave the president the authority to mobilize National Guard units within the U.S. without the consent of state governors_ The NG was federalized in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/18 "2020-09-02T21:28:41Z")
> [@Skunkdog](#): > > Planning does not seem to be his strong suit. This. Trump does everything on the spur of the moment without regard to facts or planning. Remember when he ordered an attack on Iran and then called it back at the last minute? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/19 "2020-09-02T21:29:05Z")
> **[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2008)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 is a law in the United States signed by President George W. Bush on January 28, 2008. As a bill it was H.R. 4986 in the 110th Congress. The overall purpose of the law is to authorize funding for the defense of the United States and its interests abroad, for military construction, and for national security-related energy programs. In a controversial signing statement, President Bush instruct... And at any rate, they weren’t federalized, they were just able to be federalized outside of the consent of the states. Which was repealed in 2008 in any event. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623/20 "2020-09-02T22:13:53Z")
Trump likes the looting and rioting - if he takes direct action, it will be against groups of protestors that aren’t breaking the law. They’re easier to find, easier to catch, and doing bad things to innocent people that dislike him makes him feel like a grown-up dictator. If the rioting and looting escalate enough, I wouldn’t be surprised to see martial law instituted, with no specified cancellation date. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-trumps-plan-for-the-looting-and-rioting-if-he-wins/919623.md?page=2)