# Will National Guards open fire or baton charge **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106 "2017-01-14T13:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nansbread1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106/1 "2017-01-14T13:48:04Z")
If there is sustained disturbance at the Presidential inauguration, do the National Guards havecauthority to open fire in case of breach by enthusiastic group of college students. ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106/2 "2017-01-14T14:59:11Z")
Probably if there’s a real chance somebody could get to the president and hurt him. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106/3 "2017-01-14T15:13:43Z")
> [@Nansbread1](#): > > … in case of breach… Breach of what? The Oval Office? Police lines? Decorum? Protocol? Most security at the inauguration is provided by police, including the Metropolitian Police Department, several thousand police from outside D.C., and a substantial number of Federal police (from the uniformed Secret Service division to Park Police). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106/4 "2017-01-14T16:36:53Z")
What would the National Guard even be doing at the inauguration? It’s not in any state. If there are any Guardsmen there, they’d be there as private citizens, same as any of the rest of the crowds in attendance. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106/5 "2017-01-14T16:42:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What would the National Guard even be doing at the inauguration? It’s not in any state. If there are any Guardsmen there, they’d be there as private citizens, same as any of the rest of the crowds in attendance. D.C. has National Guard troops, commander appointed by the president, that will be providing support during the inauguration. They have received attention because their commander will be replaced at 12:01 on 1/20, when Trump takes office, during the middle of the operation. > **[Head of D.C. National Guard to step down during Trump inauguration](https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2017/01/13/head-of-d-c-national-guard-to-step-down-during-trump-inauguration/)** > > The head of the District of Columbia National Guard has been ordered to step down immediately after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. (If you WERE planning a fascist seizure of power, having your new NG commander crack a lot of skulls would be … one way to do it, I guess. Anyway, people are worried.) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106/6 "2017-01-14T17:20:00Z")
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also have National Guard units, in addition to D.C… The Guard is not just for states. However, DC is unique in that other states and territories get to have control of the Guard when it is not in Federal service, therough the command of the governor. In DC, the President always has command (as opposed to the top local official of D.C., the mayor). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2017, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-national-guards-open-fire-or-baton-charge/777106/7 "2017-01-14T23:35:53Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > D.C. has National Guard troops, commander appointed by the president, that will be providing support during the inauguration. They have received attention because their commander will be replaced at 12:01 on 1/20, when Trump takes office, during the middle of the operation. > [Head of D.C. National Guard to step down during Trump inauguration](https://www.armytimes.com/articles/head-of-dc-national-guard-to-step-down-during-trump-inauguration) > > (If you WERE planning a fascist seizure of power, having your new NG commander crack a lot of skulls would be … one way to do it, I guess. Anyway, people are worried.) Nobody is worried. It might be slightly irregular but his deputy who is a one star will handle the operation. Trump doesn’t need to seize power, it is being given to him as part of the democratic process. To answer the question, there will be about 5,000 guardsmen working the inauguration. They are coming from many states and will be under temporary command of the DC Guard. Almost none of them will be armed and will be used primarily to help with traffic and other non-law enforcement roles so the police can work security.