United States presidential line of succession
The United States presidential line of succession is the order in which government officials replace the President of the United States if the president leaves office before an elected successor is inaugurated. If the president dies, resigns or is removed from the office, the vice president becomes president for the rest of the term. If the vice president is unable to serve, the Speaker of the House acts as president.
Previous lines
changeThe United States Constitution says that the vice president of the United States is the person who will replace the president if the president is not able to continue.[1] In 1868, during the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, Benjamin Wade was the leader of the Senate, who nearly became president, as Johnson was found not guilty by one vote. Johnson had previously served as vice president for Abraham Lincoln, and became president after Lincoln’s assassination. As a result, there was no vice president during Johnson’s presidency.
In 1886, after the death of Vice President Thomas A. Hendricks, Congress passed a law that took out the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives from the line of succession.[2] The new person behind the vice president in line was Secretary of State, followed by other Cabinet members. The leaders of the Senate and House were restored to the line of succession by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.[2]
Present line of succession
changeBelow is the line of succession for the president of the United States under Donald Trump:
| Number | Office[3] | Name | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vice President | JD Vance | Republican | ||
| 2 | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Mike Johnson | Republican | ||
| 3 | President pro tempore of the Senate | Chuck Grassley | Republican | ||
| 4 | Secretary of State | Marco Rubio | Republican | ||
| 5 | Secretary of the Treasury | Scott Bessent | Republican | ||
| 6 | Secretary of Defense | Pete Hegseth | Republican | ||
| - | Attorney General | James McHenry | Unknown | ||
| 7 | Secretary of the Interior | Doug Burgum | Republican | ||
| - | Secretary of Agriculture | Gary Washington | Unknown | ||
| - | Secretary of Commerce | Jeremy Pelter | Unknown | ||
| - | Secretary of Labor | Vince Micone | Unknown | ||
| - | Secretary of Health and Human Services | Dorothy Fink | Unknown | ||
| - | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | Matt Ammon | Unknown | ||
| 8 | Secretary of Transportation | Sean Duffy | Republican | ||
| - | Secretary of Energy | Ingrid Kolb | Unknown | ||
| - | Secretary of Education | Denise Carter | Unknown | ||
| - | Secretary of Veterans Affairs | Todd Hunter | Unknown | ||
| 9 | Secretary of Homeland Security | Kristi Noem | Republican | ||
Notes
changeReferences
change- ↑ See United States Constitution, Amendment apple
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Succession to the Presidency - A Chronology". Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ↑ Lord, Debbie (June 18, 2018). "A president resigns, dies or is impeached: What is the line of succession?". WFTV.com. Cox Media Group. Retrieved June 18, 2018.