Throughout history, eight US presidents have passed away while serving in office. Some succumbed to natural causes, while others were victims of assassination.
This week, Vice President JD Vance addressed the matter of being prepared to assume the presidency should such a situation arise unexpectedly.
Currently, there is no indication that President Donald Trump, at 79, is experiencing any health issues, and he appears to be in good health.
Nonetheless, JD Vance’s remarks have prompted discussions about the protocol that follows the death of a sitting president.
Here’s a breakdown of what occurs in such a scenario.
If a president dies in office, the vice president immediately assumes the role of president. Subsequently, a new vice president must be chosen.
The succeeding president nominates a candidate for vice president, who then must be confirmed by a majority vote in Congress.
The 25th Amendment outlines this process: “In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
“Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.”
History records that four presidents have been assassinated while in office: Abraham Lincoln in 1865, James Garfield in 1881, William McKinley in 1901, and John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Additionally, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, Zachary Taylor, and William Henry Harrison all passed away during their presidencies.
Vice President JD Vance was asked about Trump’s health and his readiness to take over if necessary.
“I’ve had a lot of on-the-job training in the last 200 days, but the president is in incredibly good health. He’s got incredible energy,” Vance, 41, told USA Today.
“While most of the people who work around the president of the United States are younger than he is, I think that we find that he’s actually the last person to go to sleep, he’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and is the first person making phone calls in the morning.”
Vance acknowledged that ‘terrible tragedies happen’, but expressed confidence in Trump’s health, believing he will complete his term as president.
He added: “If God forbid there is a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten in the last 200 days.”
Vance’s comments have sparked reactions, with some labeling them as ‘strange’.
One individual remarked: “Strange thing to say as the person who is VP, no?”
Another suggested that Vance’s words seemed ‘foreshadowing’ and ‘ominous’.
Someone else tweeted: “What an incredibly odd thing to say.”