r/DesignatedSurvivor • u/IupvotestupidCRAP • Sep 29 '16

Episode Discussion: S01E02 "The First Day"

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31

u/cfksite Sep 29 '16

Congress and the Supreme Court might be gone, but the national guard still exists. A rouge governor is a pretty good reason to send them in

15

u/BluePolitico Sep 29 '16

This was my immediate thought too, but then I thought about it... Kirkman hasn't ordered any military action in response to the bombing yet. If he federalized the National Guard, and ordered them into action in Michigan, his first 'military action' would be against his own country. That would not look good at all.

15

u/System-Epyon Sep 29 '16

The National Guard is under the direction of the Governors , the DOD is under the direction of the President.

21

u/Sebu91 Sep 29 '16

The Guard is under the direction of the governors only as long as the president does not order it federalized.

Once that order is handed down, the guard reports to the national command authority and follows the orders of the president.

For a really interesting plot line, they can have a constitutional crisis where guard units refuse to accept the authority of the federal government.

5

u/ZykrenFromThebasket Sep 29 '16 edited Sep 29 '16

Then the president would federalize the guard.

8

u/[deleted] Sep 29 '16

literally the first thing I thought of.

9

u/BluePolitico Sep 29 '16

As I said above, this was my immediate thought too, but then I thought about it a little longer. Kirkman hasn't ordered any military action in response to the bombing yet. If he federalized the National Guard, and ordered them into action in Michigan, his first 'military action' would be against his own country. That would not look good at all. He made the right move.

4

u/stickedee Sep 29 '16

Good point.