United States presidential line of succession

Gerald Ford sworn in as the 38th president of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger on August 9, 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

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 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

The 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

Below is the current line of succession for the president of the United States:

Number Office[3] name Party
1 Vice President Kamala Harris Democrat
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson Republican
3 President pro tempore of the Senate Patty Murray Democrat
4 Secretary of State Antony Blinken Democrat
5 Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen Democrat
6 Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Democrat
7 Attorney General Merrick Garland Democrat
8 Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Democrat
9 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Democrat
10 Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo Democrat
11 Secretary of Labor Julie Su (Acting) Democrat
12 Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra Democrat
13 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge Democrat
14 Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Democrat
15 Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm[upper-alpha 1] Democrat
16 Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Democrat
17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough Democrat
18 Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas[upper-alpha 2] Democrat

United States Presidential Line Of Succession Media

Notes

  1. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm is not allowed to become acting president, as she is not a natural-born U.S. citizen. Granholm's citizenship was given through naturalization.
  2. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is not allowed to become acting president, as he is not a natural-born U.S. citizen. Mayorkas' citizenship was given through naturalization.

References

  1. See United States Constitution, Amendment XXV.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Succession to the Presidency - A Chronology". Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  3. Lord, Debbie (June 18, 2018). A president resigns, dies or is impeached: What is the line of succession?. Cox Media Group. https://www.wftv.com/news/trending-now/a-president-resigns-dies-or-is-impeached-what-is-the-line-of-succession/772080208. Retrieved June 18, 2018. 

Other websites