The text was vague on several matters, including on whether the vice president fully becomes president if the sitting president dies or resigns (in practice, the answer was interpreted as “yes”), and on how to fill a vice presidential vacancy that arises during a term (in practice, the answer was interpreted as “you can’t”). The framers of the Constitution were farsighted about many things, but presidential succession was not among them. Overall, the 25th Amendment provides two paths through which Vice President Mike Pence could be made “acting president.” If either of them is invoked, Pence would get the full powers of the presidency - but Trump would be able to later get those powers back, should he recover. But though the amendment was broadly written, these provisions weren’t really aimed at countering presidential erraticism they were aimed at helping the government do something about debilitating presidential health problems. This is what Trump did in the days before his coronavirus test, in photos The 25th Amendment created, for the first time, a process by which the president of the United States can temporarily give up his powers - or have them taken from him - because he is deemed “unable” to do the job.ĭuring the Trump presidency, the 25th Amendment has come up surprisingly often, because commentators and even some of Trump’s advisers have discussed invoking it to strip him of his presidential powers against his will, due to concerns about his erratic behavior and general unfitness for office. President Trump wears a mask while paying respects as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose on September 24. These situations are where the 25th Amendment to the Constitution comes into play. And things get really thorny if the president still thinks he can do the job - but his advisers disagree. Things get more complicated if the president remains alive but is too sick or unwell to do the job anymore. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 - that it’s clear how that happens. This has happened enough times in American history - eight, the most recent being John F. Of course we all know that if the president should die in office, the vice president gets sworn in to replace him. But naturally, when the leader of a global superpower comes down with a deadly virus, it’s worth looking into what the contingency plans are should he take a turn for the worse. It’s entirely possible that the president’s case turns out to be as “mild” as the White House said it was on Friday, and that he recovers quickly. It’s a question that’s arisen several times in American history, and may be newly relevant now that President Donald Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus. What happens if the president of the United States becomes too sick to do the job?
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