If Trump and Pence were to both die before the election

[DavidDvorkin]

How would the GOP choose its candidate? I assume it would be the modern equivalent of the smoke-filled room (smoke-filled Zoom!), since of course they can't go through the primary process again. Surely both parties have rules in place for such an eventuality.

[LisaL]

1. I don't think Pence is likely to die from covid.

He seems quite healthy.

[milestogo]

10. For a statue, that is.

[smirkymonkey]

15. If Pence were to die from Covid...

How would you be able to tell?



Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! I'll be here all night!

Try the veal.

[moonscape]

17. LOL! n/t

[C_U_L8R]

2. Mitt is squirming in his seat

[milestogo]

11. He's praying very hard.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Nancy Pelosi would be president

I do believe.

[Silent3]

6. No, because what we vote for, really, is a slate of electors

While those electors could perhaps, technically speaking, vote for whomever they want, the Republican party would probably choose a new candidate, and most of the Republican electors would vote for that person.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. She would be third in line

If both were to for now. There would still be an election in November.

[Silent3]

9. Yes, I just realize I might have misunderstood you, and posted a different response. n/t

[MoonlitKnight]

21. She is second in line.

VP is first.

And nobody has to die. If incapacitated the line of succession is followed.

[Silent3]

8. Oh, if you mean between now and Jan 20, if both Trump and Pence die at the same time...

...yes, Pelosi would be President.

Chances are small, however, that, Pence and Trump would die so close together in time that the temporary survivor wouldn't pick a replacement VP before dying.

I don't know if there's any sort of confirmation process for that, however, or if a President without a VP can pick a VP unilaterally.

[zipplewrath]

14. VP's have to be confirmed

It would be very interesting because the Senate is full people with ambitions to be president. Quick approval could be hard.

[MoonlitKnight]

22. House and Senate both have to confirm

So there will be no replacements.

[zipplewrath]

25. That could be hard for Pelosi

It could look like a power grab that could affect house races. Interestingly, which would take precedent, a VP confirmation or an SC one?

[NutmegYankee]

4. It takes weeks.

The breathing issues happen in the second week and then it can be weeks in the hospital.

[MagickMuffin]

24. How long did it take for Herman Cain to die.

It didn't seem to be very long before he got sick and died.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. I'm no intra party process scholar or anything like that. But I think it

goes to Kanye West.......

[Sogo]

18. LOL!!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

19. .

.

[DavidDvorkin]

12. Yes, I understand that Nancy Pelosi would become president, but she wouldn't be the GOP candidate

There'd still be an election, and the GOP would still need a candidate. I'm wondering how that person would be selected. For that matter, I wonder how the Democratic Party would handle if it both the presidential and vice-presidential candidate died before the election.

[MoonlitKnight]

23. The electors for the Trump Pence ticket decide

But they won’t matter because there won’t be 270+ of them.

[Massacure]

13. In most, if not all, states the GOP would be unable to choose a new candidate

The deadline for parties to nominate a candidate has passed in most, if not all, states. The normal plans of succession would apply if Pence or Trump were to die. The other would nominate a new Vice President after inauguration and the newly nominated Vice President would need to be confirmed by both the House and the Senate (unlike a normal cabinet member which needs Senate confirmation only). If both were to die, the Speaker of the House would become President.

Being dead does not necessarily prevent someone from running in or even winning an election. Missouri's Governor at the time, Democrat Mel Carnahan, beat Republican John Ashcroft for Missouri's seat to the U.S. Senate in 2000, despite Carnahan having died in a plane crash 38 days earlier. Consistent with Missouri law, Lieutenant Governor Roger B. Wilson became governor, and he nominated Mel's wife, Jean, to serve as Senator until the the November 2002 election. Jean lost reelection to Republican James Talent in the special election, who served the remaining four years of the term in office.

[kurtcagle]

16. If both die

Pelosi becomes president until Jan 20, at which point, the winner of the election becomes President. This is much the same process as when a senator or congress person dies, save that the line of succession is known.

[kurtcagle]

20. Joe and Kamala

This also should mean that Joe and Kamala should remain isolated from one another. In the event, God forbid, that Joe got it as president elect,, Kamala would become president.