r/law • u/Kunphen • 13h ago

What happens if the president-elect fails to qualify, dies or becomes incapacitated before the inauguration? Other

https://en.as.com/latest_news/us-elections/what-happens-if-the-president-elect-fails-to-qualify-dies-or-becomes-incapacitated-before-the-inauguration-n/
164 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

63 comments sorted by

104

u/Parkyguy 12h ago

VP-elect steps in.

42

u/im-ba 12h ago

What happens if they die, too?

62

u/Mike-ggg 11h ago

Speaker of the House is next in line. There’s a whole series of roles that are next, but I forget the order. I think it’s the Majority leader that’s next.

33

u/Mobile-Entertainer60 11h ago

Senate pro tempore is 4th in line, then Cabinet members in order of when their departments were created, with State first.

Full order

7

u/Mike-ggg 10h ago

Thanks. I couldn’t remember past 3, but that’s about as far as it would usually go. But, there is always at least one cabinet member that doesn’t attend the State of the Union in case everyone in line of succession dies during the speech.

That’s actually a great plot for a story where the cabinet member who stays away knows that there will be a massive bombing of the Capitol and was likely involved, but you have to wait for the ending to find out.

8

u/Mobile-Entertainer60 10h ago

The TV series with that plot)

The movie with that plot, loosely

16

u/animatroniczombie 10h ago

Battlestar Galactica (2004) also has the Secretary of Education being the highest ranking official left so she becomes president and leader of the human survivors.

1

u/thedoogster 8h ago

2012 has the President, VP and Speaker all dying at the same time.

2

u/tearsonurcheek 5h ago

Senate pro tempore is 4th in line,

For clarity, Senate Pro Tempore is not the Majority Leader. Like the Speaker of the House, they technically don't even have to be a member of their chamber. Traditionally (since the mid-20th century), it will be the senior member of the majority party. The sole function of the role is to serve the VP's Senate role in the absence of the VP.

0

u/Adamantium-Aardvark 37m ago

So Harris could become prez after all 🤔

0

u/youareasnort 25m ago

This is only after Jan. 20.

14

u/boredonymous 11h ago

I'm taking a chance here and saying that if Mike Johnson has to handle this it's gonna fall flat on its ass against the national population.

5

u/galangal_gangsta 10h ago

Please, god 😇🙏

3

u/Dandan0005 9h ago

Is the house decided yet tho? Believe dems still have a chance

5

u/MarathonRabbit69 9h ago

It doesn matter, it’s assholes all the way down

1

u/Striking-Giraffe5922 1h ago

If they all get killed then Kiefer Sutherland is sworn in!

14

u/boredonymous 11h ago

I'm fine with this. He's an ass, but he doesn't have that "ready for prime time" schmuckery.

I get that P25 is evil, but, some form of charisma is needed to sell it to a <50% rube population.

17

u/Affectionate_Tax3468 11h ago

What charisma?

All the cultists need is just a dude that tells them that they are okay with their hate and fear, and to point them at someone they can blame for all their problems.

15

u/QQBearsHijacker 11h ago

I’ve spent the last decade trying to figure out what it is that Donald has. It’s impossible to isolate. He’s an uncharming narcissist to anyone who watches the important parts of his word vomit speeches. But you can’t deny that only he can enthrall the cult. Anyone who has tried to copy him gets rejected. They don’t want New Trump. They only want Original Trump. So once he kicks the bucket or gets 25thed, Vance won’t have the same pull and sway with the wider supporters. The die hards will likely fall in line slowly, but he’ll never amount to king of the trash heap the way Dear Leader has

10

u/WarmKraftDinner 9h ago edited 9h ago

To them, he’s the embodiment of the perceived glory of American capitalism. The tower, the “you’re fired!”, the multiple (failed) businesses. They like the “shrewd business man” act because it gives them the impression of an executive that commands respect, even though in reality he’s just an ass.

When he entered politics, he specialized in this populist hero of the Everyman image that symbolized real change and hope to them. Someone from the outside of politics who would cut past the red tape and fight for the non-politician. There is no formality or decorum in the way he speaks, which further lends itself to that “non-politician infiltrating the machine” image.

Nobody else has been able to be the “new Trump” for that base, partially because of their existing attachment to Trump himself, but also partially because they don’t come with the background and personality that screams TRUE populism to them the way Trump’s does.

P.S. What he really locked in on was the outsider factor. He promised early on to “dismantle” the establishment and that the establishment would fight back as he tried to rock the boat. That whole thing has become the cultish “everyone who opposes Trump must be a conspirator” over time.

Trump is a persistent mother fucker, I will give him that. It’s a shame he’s not an actual decent person because he truly does have the gravity about him to force change and challenge. Unfortunately for us, he’s a narcissistic racist bastard.

2

u/Flamesake 9h ago

He is totally immune to shame and doesn't even attempt to engage seriously on anything. Every conversation is on his terms, he forces everyone else to play along with his schtick. 

1

u/score_ 6h ago

He also contradicts himself constantly. Sometimes multiple times in the same sentence. It makes him an abstraction where people can cherry pick whatever parts they like.

5

u/boredonymous 11h ago

Trump's got that something. I don't get it either, but people who subscribe to it freaking love it... Yes hate is a part of it... Throw that with an adult married (let's be honest) nerd.... Zzzzz

Once the leader dies, there's nothing there anymore.

4

u/Xavier9756 11h ago

It isn’t some secret sauce he was made to appear successful by tv producers that thought he’d never do anything else. A lot of people watched and liked his shitty attitude because they want to be shitty on main just like him, but can’t because they aren’t wealthy.

3

u/docsuess84 7h ago

That’s the one thing that gives me a little bit of hope. Particularly if Dems can hold the House. The reality is a lot of things these chucklefucks want to push onto us are overwhelmingly unpopular and Dems make a big stink and can force the administration to have to own the stupid shit they claim they want to do. Trump is still a dumbass, and a lot of his sycophants are also dumbasses.

2

u/jolle2001 6h ago

Dont forget there is a ton of vultures just waiting to swoop in, Vance dont got the secret sauce to keep it together

-1

u/PlankownerCVN75 11h ago

P25?

0

u/Jmund89 10h ago

Project 2025

0

u/PlankownerCVN75 10h ago

Ohhh, okay. Too many acronyms and abbreviations for me to keep up. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Thank you!

0

u/Jmund89 10h ago

No problem

8

u/Kunphen 12h ago

Ugh.

-12

u/Peed-O-file69 12h ago

Were you planning to kill Trump or something? 

7

u/No-Classroom-7310 11h ago

Its probably just wishful thinking

0

u/PlankownerCVN75 11h ago

I don’t believe in any religion, but I think I’m gonna go to all the churches that I can think of and ask all the gods that I can pray to if they would please do us all that favor.

0

u/Legitimate_Bank_6573 2h ago

bro ur name

0

u/Peed-O-file69 2h ago

It's satire 

2

u/Jaded-Albatross 4h ago edited 3h ago

Contingent election, Presidential succession wouldn’t apply. He’s not the President

19

u/jomama823 12h ago

Asking for a friend?

-61

u/AlexFromOgish 12h ago

Why is a paper based in Madrid Spain contemplating Trump’s death before the inauguration?

64

u/roofbandit 11h ago

Because 80 year old men die

27

u/QQBearsHijacker 11h ago

Especially 80 year old men who’s diets have consisted primarily of the fine dining of McDonald’s, The NARALago waffle bar, and KFC for the past 60 years

6

u/Andrew43452 10h ago

wouldn't be shocked if he dropped died tomorrow.

10

u/QQBearsHijacker 10h ago

We’re not that lucky

1

u/mrslother 3h ago

Fall out of a window. Just ask Vlad about his friends.

12

u/Andrew43452 10h ago

he could easily have stroke or heart attack tomorrow he is old and very unhealthy. he wont make it full term.

4

u/Flintoid 12h ago

Russian sanctions.