Growing health concerns of the US President have left many to wonder about what would happen next in case Trump passes away while in office.
As per experts who sat down to analyze the situation, a follow-up plan is always in place for the transfer of power to avoid any kind of last minute confusion or scrambling. The power transfer is not only swift, but it’s automatic and grounded in constitution text that’s refined by two centuries of precedent.
The 25th Amendment states plainly in Section 1 that in case of removal of the President from office or his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
That language leaves no gap or interim status. The Vice President does not serve merely as acting president in that event of a death. They become president for the balance of that term. The amendment is built upon a 1841 precedent set out by VP John Tyler who goes on to assert full presidential authority after William Henry Harrison’s death and converted that practice into black letter constitutional law.
While that transfer is instant at the time of death, the new president classically takes the Article II oath before entering on the Execution of the office.
This Constitution prescribes the exact oath but doesn’t require any kind of specific official for its administration. In practice, it’s been delivered by a range of judges in whatever location circumstances demand.