Editing 2003: Presidential Succession
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | The {{w|United States presidential line of succession}} is the order of people who serve as president if the current incumbent president is incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. | + | The {{w|United States presidential line of succession}} is the order of people who serve as president if the current incumbent president is incapacitated, dies, resigns, or is removed from office. |
| − | There are also practical concerns regarding the Act. The line of succession includes all members of the Cabinet in the order that their department was established, with the oldest departments first. No consideration is given to which departments would be most relevant to the Presidency, particularly considering that this type of succession would presumably involve a serious crisis, which the new president would need to be able to address immediately. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the security and protection of the United States and its citizens and would probably already be privy to sensitive intelligence and briefings related to national security, but because it is the latest of the Departments to have been established (in 2003), the Secretary of Homeland Security is last in the current Presidential line of succession, behind Secretaries in much less sensitive roles, such as those of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Education. Another concern is that, by including members of Congress immediately after the Vice President, there is a serious risk that the simultaneous death of the President and Vice President could cause the Presidency to change to the opposing party, which could lead to serious political instability at the precise moment when the country is facing a national crisis. It even presents the possibility that simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President could function as an effective coup, shifting power to their opponents. | + | The {{w|Presidential_Succession_Act#Presidential_Succession_Act_of_1947|Presidential Succession Act of 1947}} revised the presidential order of succession to its current order. This Act, though never challenged in the courts, may not be constitutional for two reasons. First, the Act names two members of Congress as successors. There are serious questions as to whether this violates the principle of Separation of Powers. The second issue is that the Act allows for anyone skipped over for succession to later assume the office if circumstances change to allow them to hold it. This would mean that the person in question could effectively unseat a sitting President, which raises serious constitutional issues. |
| + | |||
| + | There are also practical concerns regarding the Act. The line of succession includes all members of the Cabinet in the order that their department was established, with the oldest departments first. No consideration is given to which departments would be most relevant to the Presidency, particularly considering that this type of succession would presumably involve a serious crisis, which the new president would need to be able to address immediately. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of the security and protection of the United States and its citizens and would probably already be privy to sensitive intelligence and briefings related to national security, but because it is the latest of the Departments to have been established (in 2003), the Secretary of Homeland Security is last in the current Presidential line of succession, behind Secretaries in much less sensitive roles, such as those of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Education. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Another concern is that, by including members of Congress immediately after the Vice President, there is a serious risk that the simultaneous death of the President and Vice President could cause the Presidency to change to the opposing party, which could lead to serious political instability at the precise moment when the country is facing a national crisis. It even presents the possibility that simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President could function as an effective coup, shifting power to their opponents. | ||
Finally, there is the issue that, usually, everyone in the line of succession lives and works in Washington D.C. Hence, a sufficiently destructive attack or natural disaster impacting the city could realistically incapacitate all of them, leaving the USA leaderless at a time of extreme crisis. It is already established practice in the USA that everyone in this line not gather together at once. In cases where most senior government officials gather (such as the {{w| State of the Union}}), at least one member of the line of succession (referred to as the "designated survivor") is secured off-site, and would assume the presidency in the unlikely event that a {{w| mass casualty event}} were to kill or incapacitate everyone else in the line. However, disasters impacting an entire city remain a possibility, and no provision is made for them in current law. | Finally, there is the issue that, usually, everyone in the line of succession lives and works in Washington D.C. Hence, a sufficiently destructive attack or natural disaster impacting the city could realistically incapacitate all of them, leaving the USA leaderless at a time of extreme crisis. It is already established practice in the USA that everyone in this line not gather together at once. In cases where most senior government officials gather (such as the {{w| State of the Union}}), at least one member of the line of succession (referred to as the "designated survivor") is secured off-site, and would assume the presidency in the unlikely event that a {{w| mass casualty event}} were to kill or incapacitate everyone else in the line. However, disasters impacting an entire city remain a possibility, and no provision is made for them in current law. | ||
| − | To correct these issues, a think tank known as the {{w| Continuity of Government Commission}} prepared a report recommending a new line of succession, which would not include members of Congress, would reorder the cabinet secretaries so that the most suitable roles would be the first successors, and would include people who do not live or work in Washington DC. The full text of their report can be found [https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_continuity_of_government.pdf here]. A short, readable summary, including the report's recommended new line of succession, is [https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-continuity-of-the-presidency-the-second-report-of-the-continuity-of-government-commission here]. | + | To correct these issues, a think tank known as the {{w| Continuity of Government Commission}} prepared a report recommending a new line of succession, which would not include members of Congress, would reorder the cabinet secretaries so that the most suitable roles would be the first successors, and would include people who do not live or work in Washington DC. The full text of their report can be found [https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06_continuity_of_government.pdf here]. A short, readable summary, including the report's recommended new line of succession, is [https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-continuity-of-the-presidency-the-second-report-of-the-continuity-of-government-commission here]. |
The first six members of the commission's list are taken from the current line of succession, though the order is changed; they propose that after this, five new people should be appointed specifically for the purpose of assuming the presidency, if needed. Randall's list begins with these eleven people (combining the five new appointees into #7); afterwards, his list becomes increasingly comical and ridiculous. | The first six members of the commission's list are taken from the current line of succession, though the order is changed; they propose that after this, five new people should be appointed specifically for the purpose of assuming the presidency, if needed. Randall's list begins with these eleven people (combining the five new appointees into #7); afterwards, his list becomes increasingly comical and ridiculous. | ||
| − | Randall's list omits members of Congress, as well as other cabinet positions, in accordance with the report's concerns about constitutionality and qualifications. However, his other additions totally ignore these issues, including people with no apparent qualifications for the office (such as actors, athletes, and competitive eaters) and people who are constitutionally ineligible for the office. The US Constitution requires that the President of the United States must be a natural-born US citizen, at least 35 years of age, and have resided in the US for at least fourteen years. Randall's list includes many people who don't meet these requirements. Most notably, he includes the entire succession to the British crown, almost none of whom meet the requirement of being natural-born citizens of the United States. | + | Randall's list omits members of Congress, as well as other cabinet positions, in accordance with the report's concerns about constitutionality and qualifications. However, his other additions totally ignore these issues, including people with no apparent qualifications for the office (such as actors, athletes, and competitive eaters) and people who are constitutionally ineligible for the office. The US Constitution requires that the President of the United States must be a natural-born US citizen, at least 35 years of age, and have resided in the US for at least fourteen years. Randall's list includes many people who don't meet these requirements. Most notably, he includes the entire succession to the British crown, almost none of whom meet the requirement of being natural-born citizens of the United States. |
| − | It may be expected that many of the athletes, musicians and actors on this list are likely to be ineligible as well. Most professional athletes in the relevant sports are under 35 years old, particularly those at the peak of their careers (when they'd likely win MVP awards), the most popular musicians also tend to be younger than 35, and many who meet these requirements were not born US citizens (and some many not even reside in the US). However, the existing line of succession can also contain ineligible people, who would simply be skipped over for succession. For example, at the comic's publication, {{w|Elaine Chao}} was the Secretary of Transportation and would normally be 14th in line, but because she is a naturalized citizen of the US, rather than native-born (she was born in Taiwan) she would not qualify for the office if the line came to her | + | It may be expected that many of the athletes, musicians and actors on this list are likely to be ineligible as well. Most professional athletes in the relevant sports are under 35 years old, particularly those at the peak of their careers (when they'd likely win MVP awards), the most popular musicians also tend to be younger than 35, and many who meet these requirements were not born US citizens (and some many not even reside in the US). However, the existing line of succession can also contain ineligible people, who would simply be skipped over for succession. For example, at the comic's publication, {{w|Elaine Chao}} was the Secretary of Transportation and would normally be 14th in line, but because she is a naturalized citizen of the US, rather than native-born (she was born in Taiwan) she would not qualify for the office if the line came to her. |
| − | The title text mentions that ties will be broken by whoever was closest to the surface of {{w|Europa}} when they were born. Europa is a moon of Jupiter and one of the most likely locations in the Solar System for {{w|Habitability of natural satellites|potential habitability}}. This is likely a parody of systems in which ties are broken by semi-arbitrary rules (such as the older candidate automatically winning a tie) or a randomized ones (such as ties being decided by a coin flip). The position of Europa with respect to Earth at the time of one's birth depends on enough factors that it acts as a pseudo-random tie breaker, albeit a needlessly complicated one. | + | The title text mentions that ties will be broken by whoever was closest to the surface of {{w|Europa}} when they were born. Europa is a moon of Jupiter and one of the most likely locations in the Solar System for {{w|Habitability of natural satellites|potential habitability}}. This is likely a parody of systems in which ties are broken by semi-arbitrary rules (such as the older candidate automatically winning a tie) or a randomized ones (such as ties being decided by a coin flip). The position of Europa with respect to Earth at the time of one's birth depends on enough factors that it acts as a pseudo-random tie breaker, albeit a needlessly complicated one. |
==Order of succession== | ==Order of succession== | ||
| Line 39: | Line 43: | ||
|{{w|POTUS|Vice president}} | |{{w|POTUS|Vice president}} | ||
|Vice president | |Vice president | ||
| − | | | + | |No change |
|- | |- | ||
|3 | |3 | ||
|{{w|United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State}} | |{{w|United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State}} | ||
|Speaker of the House of Representatives | |Speaker of the House of Representatives | ||
| − | |Moved up from 5th position. This is likely a serious suggestion. As mentioned above, the existing Succession Act includes the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, which presents serious practical and constitutional issues. The Secretary of State is the chief officer responsible for the country's international relations and diplomatic missions, and would be a logical successor, particularly in times of crisis. | + | |Moved up from 5th position. This is likely a serious suggestion. As mentioned above, the existing Succession Act includes the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, which presents serious practical and constitutional issues. The Secretary of State is the chief officer responsible for the country's international relations and diplomatic missions, and would be a logical successor, particularly in times of crisis. |
|- | |- | ||
|4 | |4 | ||
|{{w|United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense}} | |{{w|United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense}} | ||
|{{w|President pro tempore of the United States Senate|President pro tempore of the Senate}} | |{{w|President pro tempore of the United States Senate|President pro tempore of the Senate}} | ||
| − | |Moved up from 7th position. | + | |Moved up from 7th position. Likely a serious suggestion. The existing succession places the Secretary of Defense behind the Secretary of the Treasury in succession. If the three preceding officials were simultaneously killed or incapacitated, there would be a high likelihood that the country was either under attack, and other powers could easily try to take advantage of any power vacuum. Since the Secretary of Defense is most connected to the nation's military, and most in tune with information regarding potential threats and risks, this would be a logical succession. |
|- | |- | ||
|5 | |5 | ||
|{{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security|Secretary of Homeland Security}} | |{{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security|Secretary of Homeland Security}} | ||
|Secretary of State | |Secretary of State | ||
| − | |Moved up from 19th position. | + | |Moved up from 19th position. Likely a serious suggestion. As with the Secretary of Defense, this officer would likely be closely aligned with the national emergency response infrastructure (including overseeing the {{w|Federal Emergency Management Agency}}), and would be well equipped to deal with a major attack or natural disaster. |
|- | |- | ||
|6 | |6 | ||
|{{w|United States Attorney General|Attorney General}} | |{{w|United States Attorney General|Attorney General}} | ||
|{{w|United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury}} | |{{w|United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury}} | ||
| − | |Moved up from 8th position. | + | |Moved up from 8th position. Likely a serious suggestion. The Attorney General oversees national law enforcement, and would be in a position to deal with internal chaos that could result from a disaster that impacted the federal government so deeply. |
|- | |- | ||
|7 | |7 | ||
| − | |Five people who do not live in | + | |Five people who do not live in Washington DC, nominated at the start of the President's term and confirmed by the Senate |
|Secretary of Defense | |Secretary of Defense | ||
| − | |Washington, D.C is the capital of the United States, and is where the {{w|White House}}, the President's residence, is located. Presumably this provision covers the case where much of the government, including positions 1–6 here, are killed by a natural disaster or attack in Washington, D.C. | + | |{{w|Washington, D.C.}} is the capital of the United States, and is where the {{w|White House}}, the President's residence, is located. Presumably this provision covers the case where much of the government, including positions 1–6 here, are killed by a natural disaster or attack in Washington, D.C. |
This suggestion establishes no qualifications for these people, but the fact that they'd need to be confirmed by the Senate suggests that they would be chosen to be competent for the role. It is also unclear if an order is determined among these five or if they take up a joint presidency. This suggestion is taken from the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission to prevent the danger of the entire line of succession being removed in a single event. | This suggestion establishes no qualifications for these people, but the fact that they'd need to be confirmed by the Senate suggests that they would be chosen to be competent for the role. It is also unclear if an order is determined among these five or if they take up a joint presidency. This suggestion is taken from the Second Report of the Continuity of Government Commission to prevent the danger of the entire line of succession being removed in a single event. | ||
| Line 71: | Line 75: | ||
|{{w|Tom Hanks}} | |{{w|Tom Hanks}} | ||
|Attorney General | |Attorney General | ||
| − | |Academy Award-winning American actor. This is the first unambiguously unserious suggestion.{{Citation needed}} Tom Hanks is very popular and considered exceptionally likeable by many Americans, but has never served in public office or displayed any particular affinity for politics. The implication is that Mr. Hanks would be easily accepted as a leader, based solely on his personal charm | + | |Academy Award-winning American actor. This is the first unambiguously unserious suggestion.{{Citation needed}} Tom Hanks is very popular and considered exceptionally likeable by many Americans, but has never served in public office or displayed any particular affinity for politics. The implication is that Mr. Hanks would be easily accepted as a leader, based solely on his personal charm. |
|- | |- | ||
|9 | |9 | ||
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|Oscars, or {{w|Academy Awards}}, are annual film awards awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the time of publication, the only Oscar awarded for playing a governor was {{w|Broderick Crawford}}'s 1949 Best Actor award for the fictional Willie Stark in ''{{w|All the King's Men (1949 film)|All the King's Men}}'' (a character based on {{w|Huey Long}}). However, Crawford died in 1986, so would be unable to serve as President. | |Oscars, or {{w|Academy Awards}}, are annual film awards awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the time of publication, the only Oscar awarded for playing a governor was {{w|Broderick Crawford}}'s 1949 Best Actor award for the fictional Willie Stark in ''{{w|All the King's Men (1949 film)|All the King's Men}}'' (a character based on {{w|Huey Long}}). However, Crawford died in 1986, so would be unable to serve as President. | ||
| − | + | May be a reference to the {{w|Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger}}: a highly-lauded actor who became governor of California, but did not win an Oscar or play a governor before being elected. (As a naturalized citizen, he is also ineligible for the Presidency.) | |
| − | |||
|- | |- | ||
|11 | |11 | ||
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|{{w|Kate McKinnon}}, if available | |{{w|Kate McKinnon}}, if available | ||
|Secretary of Labor | |Secretary of Labor | ||
| − | |Comedic actress famous for being a cast member on {{w|Saturday Night Live}}. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions. She has recently done impersonations of members of the Trump administration including Spokeswoman {{w|Kellyanne Conway}} and Attorney General {{w|Jeff Sessions}}. She also played {{w|Hillary Clinton}} during the 2016 campaign and presumably would have played her when she was President had she won; but since Clinton lost, McKinnon has not actually played a President. At the time the comic was released, she was 34 years 5 months old; thus she was not "available" until seven months later | + | |Comedic actress famous for being a cast member on {{w|Saturday Night Live}}. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions. She has recently done impersonations of members of the Trump administration including Spokeswoman {{w|Kellyanne Conway}} and Attorney General {{w|Jeff Sessions}}. She also played {{w|Hillary Clinton}} during the 2016 campaign and presumably would have played her when she was President had she won; but since Clinton lost, McKinnon has not actually played a President. At the time the comic was released, she was 34 years 5 months old; thus she was not "available" until seven months later. |
|- | |- | ||
|13 | |13 | ||
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|The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time | |The top 5 US astronauts in descending order of total spaceflight time | ||
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | |Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | ||
| − | |Astronauts are highly respected and rigorously selected, but most have little involvement in politics. According to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders NASA], the top 5 US astronauts by cumulative space time at the time of publication were: {{w|Peggy Whitson}}, {{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}, {{W|Scott Kelly (astronaut)|Scott Kelly}} | + | |Astronauts are highly respected and rigorously selected, but most have little involvement in politics. According to [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-station-astronaut-record-holders NASA], the top 5 US astronauts by cumulative space time at the time of publication were: {{w|Peggy Whitson}}, {{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}}, {{W|Scott Kelly (astronaut)|Scott Kelly}}, {{w|Mike Fincke}}, and {{w|Mike Foale}}. However, it is unclear whether Foale would qualify as a natural-born citizen, as he was born in the United Kingdom to a British father and American mother. |
|- | |- | ||
|15 | |15 | ||
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|The entire line of succession to the British throne | |The entire line of succession to the British throne | ||
|Secretary of Veterans Affairs | |Secretary of Veterans Affairs | ||
| − | |According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become President, which means that at least most of the line of succession to the British throne is ineligible. However, it is possible that someone in the line of succession to the British throne either is a dual citizen or is not British (a person from outside of Britain | + | |According to the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States can become President, which means that at least most of the line of succession to the British throne is ineligible. However, it is possible that someone in the line of succession to the British throne either is a dual citizen or is not British (a person from outside of Britain can become King; for example, some, including George I, were from what is now Germany). |
| − | The first 59 names on the list are {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne#Current_line_of_succession|here}}. [https://lineofsuccession.co.uk/?date=2018-06-06 British Line of Succession on 6 June 2018] shows the list as it was at the comic's publication. American citizens [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/vw-42233_1_royal-house have, at times] been on the list, but no natural-born Americans were on the list when the comic was published. However, after this comic was published {{w|Archie Mountbatten-Windsor}} was born on May 6, 2019; he is currently seventh in the line of succession to the British throne and has US citizenship through his mother {{w|Meghan, Duchess of Sussex}}. As with Mark Foale, though, whether that qualifies as natural-born has not be tested (leaving aside his age and the fact that many royals in his position have historically relinquished their birthright US citizenship voluntarily, which he may choose to do once he reaches age 16). In theory, the full British succession list includes [http://www.wargs.com/essays/succession/2011.html several thousand people] (living descendants of {{w|Sophia of Hanover}} who are not Roman Catholic or otherwise disqualified), and it is possible that one or more such people would also be eligible to be President of the United States beyond Master Archie | + | The first 59 names on the list are {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne#Current_line_of_succession|here}}. [https://lineofsuccession.co.uk/?date=2018-06-06 British Line of Succession on 6 June 2018] shows the list as it was at the comic's publication. American citizens [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-11/news/vw-42233_1_royal-house have, at times] been on the list, but no natural-born Americans were on the list when the comic was published. However, after this comic was published {{w|Archie Mountbatten-Windsor}} was born on May 6, 2019; he is currently seventh in the line of succession to the British throne and has US citizenship through his mother {{w|Meghan, Duchess of Sussex}}. As with Mark Foale, though, whether that qualifies as natural-born has not be tested (leaving aside his age and the fact that many royals in his position have historically relinquished their birthright US citizenship voluntarily, which he may choose to do once he reaches age 16). In theory, the full British succession list includes [http://www.wargs.com/essays/succession/2011.html several thousand people] (living descendants of {{w|Sophia of Hanover}} who are not Roman Catholic or otherwise disqualified), and it is possible that one or more such people would also be eligible to be President of the United States beyond Master Archie. |
The humor here derives from the fact that the United States was established by declaring independence from the United Kingdom, with rejection of the British monarchy being a basic founding principle, and a core principle of US governance. To appoint the British monarchy to the American presidency would contradict the basic goals of American independence. Alternatively, it may reference the recent wedding of {{w|Prince Harry}} to {{w|Meghan Markle}}, although she is not in the order of succession. A similar sequence of events was the plotline of the comedy film ''{{w|King Ralph}}'', which saw an American become the British monarch after the death of the royal family. | The humor here derives from the fact that the United States was established by declaring independence from the United Kingdom, with rejection of the British monarchy being a basic founding principle, and a core principle of US governance. To appoint the British monarchy to the American presidency would contradict the basic goals of American independence. Alternatively, it may reference the recent wedding of {{w|Prince Harry}} to {{w|Meghan Markle}}, although she is not in the order of succession. A similar sequence of events was the plotline of the comedy film ''{{w|King Ralph}}'', which saw an American become the British monarch after the death of the royal family. | ||
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|The {{w|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}} is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition sponsored by {{w|Nathan's Famous}} held on July 4th. As of the time of publication, the most recent men's winner was {{w|Joey Chestnut}} and the women's winner was {{w|Miki Sudo}}. At the time of publication, neither was old enough to assume the office. | |The {{w|Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}} is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition sponsored by {{w|Nathan's Famous}} held on July 4th. As of the time of publication, the most recent men's winner was {{w|Joey Chestnut}} and the women's winner was {{w|Miki Sudo}}. At the time of publication, neither was old enough to assume the office. | ||
| − | The comic does not specify whether the men's or women's winner should take office, creating a tie that would be broken by distance from Europa at birth. Had they both been eligible, [https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/29132/was-earth-closer-to-europa-on-1983-11-25-or-1985-07-22 Sudo would have won] by between 0.125 and | + | The comic does not specify whether the men's or women's winner should take office, creating a tie that would be broken by distance from Europa at birth. Had they both been eligible, [https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/29132/was-earth-closer-to-europa-on-1983-11-25-or-1985-07-22 Sudo would have won] by between 0.125 and 4 {{w|Astronomical unit}}s. |
|- | |- | ||
|20 | |20 | ||
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|Effective for a population up to 536,870,912 individuals (2^29) which would be enough to cover the entire US population (estimated at around 325 million at time of publication), although additional rounds can be added should the population grow further. | |Effective for a population up to 536,870,912 individuals (2^29) which would be enough to cover the entire US population (estimated at around 325 million at time of publication), although additional rounds can be added should the population grow further. | ||
| − | This is probably a reference to the {{w|Matter of Britain}} (e.g., {{w|The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone}}), where, after the death of Uther Pendragon, with no known successor to the throne of | + | This is probably a reference to the {{w|Matter of Britain}} (e.g., {{w|The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone}}), where, after the death of Uther Pendragon, with no known successor to the throne of England for years, it is decided that the winner of a jousting tournament shall be crowned. However, Arthur, the Wart, pulls the Sword from the Stone. |
|} | |} | ||
===List of specific individuals=== | ===List of specific individuals=== | ||
Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, including only people who are otherwise eligible to be the President of United States (35 year old and natural born US citizens who lived in US for last 14 years) '''as of the date the comic was published'''. | Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, including only people who are otherwise eligible to be the President of United States (35 year old and natural born US citizens who lived in US for last 14 years) '''as of the date the comic was published'''. | ||
| − | # | + | #{{w|Donald Trump}} ({{w|President of the United States}}) |
#{{w|Mike Pence}} ({{w|Vice President of the United States}}) | #{{w|Mike Pence}} ({{w|Vice President of the United States}}) | ||
#{{w|Mike Pompeo}} ({{w|United States Secretary of State}}) | #{{w|Mike Pompeo}} ({{w|United States Secretary of State}}) | ||
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#{{w|Tom Brady}} ({{w|National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP}}) <br> The MVPs of all other listed sports leagues are ineligible for the office due to age or nationality. | #{{w|Tom Brady}} ({{w|National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP}}) <br> The MVPs of all other listed sports leagues are ineligible for the office due to age or nationality. | ||
#{{w|Bill Pullman}} (Bill Pullman) <br> None of his children are old enough to become President at this time. | #{{w|Bill Pullman}} (Bill Pullman) <br> None of his children are old enough to become President at this time. | ||
| − | # | + | #''line of succession to the British throne''<br> Assumes that no eligible member of the British order of succession exists due to citizenship issues. The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating champions were too young to hold the office. |
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#''everyone else'' (Jousting tournament) | #''everyone else'' (Jousting tournament) | ||
| − | Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, including only people who are otherwise eligible to be the President of United States (35 year old and natural born US citizens who lived in US for last 14 years) '''as of the current date'''. (Last updated on | + | Based on the comic's defined criteria for the order of succession, these are the specific individuals in that order, including only people who are otherwise eligible to be the President of United States (35 year old and natural born US citizens who lived in US for last 14 years) '''as of the current date'''. (Last updated on 20 October 2020) |
| − | # | + | #{{w|Donald Trump}} ({{w|President of the United States}}) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Mike Pence}} ({{w|Vice President of the United States}}) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Mike Pompeo}} ({{w|United States Secretary of State}}) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Mark Esper}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Defense}}) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Chad Wolf}} ({{w|United States Secretary of Homeland Security}}) <br>Wolf is currently the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security. It's unclear whether this proposal would include acting officers. |
| + | #{{w|William Barr}} ({{w|United States Attorney General}})<br> As Donald Trump did not appoint anyone to fill position #7 on Randall's line of succession, Hanks immediately follows after Barr. | ||
#{{w|Tom Hanks}} (Tom Hanks) | #{{w|Tom Hanks}} (Tom Hanks) | ||
#{{w|Gavin Newsom}} (Governor of California) | #{{w|Gavin Newsom}} (Governor of California) | ||
#{{w|Greg Abbott}} (Governor of Texas) | #{{w|Greg Abbott}} (Governor of Texas) | ||
| + | #{{w|Andrew Cuomo}} (Governor of New York) | ||
#{{w|Ron DeSantis}} (Governor of Florida) | #{{w|Ron DeSantis}} (Governor of Florida) | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
#{{w|J. B. Pritzker}} (Governor of Illinois) | #{{w|J. B. Pritzker}} (Governor of Illinois) | ||
| + | #{{w|Tom Wolf}} (Governor of Pennsylvania) | ||
#{{w|Mike DeWine}} (Governor of Ohio) | #{{w|Mike DeWine}} (Governor of Ohio) | ||
| + | #{{w|Gretchen Whitmer}} (Governor of Michigan) <br> Notably, the first woman on this list. | ||
#{{w|Brian Kemp}} (Governor of Georgia) | #{{w|Brian Kemp}} (Governor of Georgia) | ||
#{{w|Roy Cooper}} (Governor of North Carolina) | #{{w|Roy Cooper}} (Governor of North Carolina) | ||
| − | |||
#{{w|Phil Murphy}} (Governor of New Jersey) | #{{w|Phil Murphy}} (Governor of New Jersey) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Ralph Northam}} (Governor of Virginia) |
#{{w|Jay Inslee}} (Governor of Washington) | #{{w|Jay Inslee}} (Governor of Washington) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Charlie Baker}} (Governor of Massachusetts) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Eric Holcomb}} (Governor of Indiana) |
| + | #{{w|Doug Ducey}} (Governor of Arizona) | ||
#{{w|Bill Lee (Tennessee politician)|Bill Lee}} (Governor of Tennessee) | #{{w|Bill Lee (Tennessee politician)|Bill Lee}} (Governor of Tennessee) | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
#{{w|Mike Parson}} (Governor of Missouri) | #{{w|Mike Parson}} (Governor of Missouri) | ||
| + | #{{w|Larry Hogan}} (Governor of Maryland) | ||
#{{w|Tony Evers}} (Governor of Wisconsin) | #{{w|Tony Evers}} (Governor of Wisconsin) | ||
| + | #{{w|Tim Walz}} (Governor of Minnesota) | ||
#{{w|Jared Polis}} (Governor of Colorado) | #{{w|Jared Polis}} (Governor of Colorado) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Kay Ivey}} (Governor of Alabama) |
#{{w|Henry McMaster}} (Governor of South Carolina) | #{{w|Henry McMaster}} (Governor of South Carolina) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|John Bel Edwards}} (Governor of Louisiana) |
| − | |||
#{{w|Andy Beshear}} (Governor of Kentucky) | #{{w|Andy Beshear}} (Governor of Kentucky) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Kate Brown}} (Governor of Oregon) <br> Born in Spain to a member of the US Air Force, should be considered a natural-born citizen until proven otherwise. |
#{{w|Kevin Stitt}} (Governor of Oklahoma) | #{{w|Kevin Stitt}} (Governor of Oklahoma) | ||
#{{w|Ned Lamont}} (Governor of Connecticut) | #{{w|Ned Lamont}} (Governor of Connecticut) | ||
| − | |||
#{{w|Kim Reynolds}} (Governor of Iowa) | #{{w|Kim Reynolds}} (Governor of Iowa) | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
#{{w|Tate Reeves}} (Governor of Mississippi) | #{{w|Tate Reeves}} (Governor of Mississippi) | ||
| + | #{{w|Asa Hutchinson}} (Governor of Arkansas) | ||
#{{w|Laura Kelly}} (Governor of Kansas) | #{{w|Laura Kelly}} (Governor of Kansas) | ||
| + | #{{w|Gary Herbert}} (Governor of Utah) | ||
| + | #{{w|Steve Sisolak}} (Governor of Nevada) | ||
#{{w|Michelle Lujan Grisham}} (Governor of New Mexico) | #{{w|Michelle Lujan Grisham}} (Governor of New Mexico) | ||
| − | #{{w|Jim | + | #{{w|Jim Justice}} (Governor of West Virginia) |
| + | #{{w|Pete Ricketts}} (Governor of Nebraska) | ||
#{{w|Brad Little}} (Governor of Idaho) | #{{w|Brad Little}} (Governor of Idaho) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|David Ige}} (Governor of Hawaii) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Janet Mills}} (Governor of Maine) |
#{{w|Chris Sununu}} (Governor of New Hampshire) | #{{w|Chris Sununu}} (Governor of New Hampshire) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Gina Raimondo}} (Governor of Rhode Island) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Steve Bullock (American politician)|Steve Bullock}} (Governor of Montana) |
| − | |||
#{{w|John Carney (politician)|John Carney}} (Governor of Delaware) | #{{w|John Carney (politician)|John Carney}} (Governor of Delaware) | ||
#{{w|Kristi Noem}} (Governor of South Dakota) | #{{w|Kristi Noem}} (Governor of South Dakota) | ||
| + | #{{w|Mike Dunleavy (politician)|Mike Dunleavy}} (Governor of Alaska) | ||
#{{w|Doug Burgum}} (Governor of North Dakota) | #{{w|Doug Burgum}} (Governor of North Dakota) | ||
| − | |||
#{{w|Phil Scott (politician)|Phil Scott}} (Governor of Vermont) | #{{w|Phil Scott (politician)|Phil Scott}} (Governor of Vermont) | ||
#{{w|Mark Gordon (politician)|Mark Gordon}} (Governor of Wyoming) | #{{w|Mark Gordon (politician)|Mark Gordon}} (Governor of Wyoming) | ||
| − | #{{w|Kate McKinnon}} (Kate McKinnon) <br> If she is available. Entries 10 | + | #{{w|Kate McKinnon}} (Kate McKinnon) <br> If she is available. Entries 10 and 11 on Randall's list have no eligible living members.<br>All artists from the {{w|Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2019}} were under 35. |
| − | #{{w|Peggy Whitson}} (Astronaut, | + | #{{w|Peggy Whitson}} (Astronaut, 665 days in space) |
#{{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}} (Astronaut, 534 days in space) | #{{w|Jeffrey Williams (astronaut)|Jeff Williams}} (Astronaut, 534 days in space) | ||
| − | |||
#{{w|Scott Kelly}} (Astronaut, 520 days in space) | #{{w|Scott Kelly}} (Astronaut, 520 days in space) | ||
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Mike Fincke}} (Astronaut, 382 days in space) |
| − | #{{w| | + | #{{w|Mike Foale}} (Astronaut, 374 days in space) <br> Foale was born in the UK but his mother is an American, and he holds dual citizenship with both countries. It isn't clear legally whether this situation would qualify him as being a "natural-born" citizen as US courts have never definitively ruled on what the term means, so similar to Governor Kate Brown his name is included in the list until further notice. |
| − | # | + | #{{w|Bill Pullman}} (Bill Pullman) <br> None of Bill Pullman's children are old enough to become President at this time. |
| − | # | + | #{{w|Serena Williams}} (most recent match: win against {{w|Anastasija Sevastova}}, Fed Cup QLS R1) <br> The MVPs of all listed sports leagues are ineligible for the office due to age or nationality. |
| − | + | #''line of succession to the British throne'' | |
| − | + | #{{w|Miki Sudo}} (Women’s champion of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, listed first since closer to Europa at date of birth) | |
| − | + | #{{w|Joey Chestnut}} (Men's champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest) | |
| − | + | #''everyone else'' (Jousting tournament) <br> Assumes that the number of eligible US Citizens does not exceed 536,870,912. | |
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| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | #{{w|Miki Sudo}} (Women’s champion of the | ||
| − | #{{w|Joey Chestnut}} (Men's champion of the | ||
| − | #''everyone else'' (Jousting tournament) <br> Assumes that the number of eligible US | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
