With President Trump testing positive for the coronavirus yesterday, I looked into a few things.
For those who don't know, a 1947 law states that Vice President Mike Pence is the first in line to assume the Oval Office if President Trump becomes too ill to carry out his duties. If Pence were to become too ill to carry out the president's responsibilities, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, would step in, followed by the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
Fifth in line is Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. If Steven Mnuchin is too ill to serve, next in line would be the secretary of defense, followed by the attorney general.
The issue that isn't clear is how it's determined how a president is too ill to perform his duties.
The 25th Amendment was intended to deal with any ambiguity about who leads the government when a president cannot. Suppose the president becomes sick, and the cabinet determines that they cannot perform the office's duties. In that case, the 25th Amendment grants the administration the power to transfer authority to the vice president temporarily. Once the president "deems himself fit," he can reclaim the power of the presidency.
The last time our country had to confront a time in the nation's history where a president dealt with a life-threatening illness was in 1981 when President Reagan was shot.
Conspiracy theories are already floating:
Trump is lying about this to avoid the debates.
Trump is attempting to get a bump in the polls.
Trump is trying to avoid responsibility for a possible loss.
Trump is lying about this to change the subject.
Some have suggested this might all be a set-up. Trump might come out in a few days to say he's perfectly fine; he no longer has symptoms. He will say, "What's the big deal? It's harmless, and everyone is over-reacting!" What if Trump emerges in two weeks to claim how healthy he remained throughout the process. "Look, I beat it, and I still have more energy than Sleepy Joe!"
It's hard to believe anything coming from this White House. Trump thrives on misinformation and chaos. He loves spreading falsehoods and attempts to terrify people who don't take the time to think things through. A few news cycles ago, Trump rattled the general public about possibly disputing the election results. Some have even gone as far as to say he might never leave the White House. It's an example of people's irrational fear run amuck.
If Joe Biden is the certified winner of the election this fall, the Presidency's powers—including the role of commander in chief—are transferred to him. That's the reality of life in America. Trump can complain all he wants. He can rage tweet and go on FOX News all day and night. If he loses, he certainly won't be doing any of that at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20th at 12:01 PM.
Suppose at that date and time, the election isn't certified. In that case, the 20th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare an acting president until there is a president or vice president. At this point, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 would apply, with the office of the Presidency going to the speaker of the House of Representatives, followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and various Cabinet officers. Say hello to President Nanci Pelosi and VP Chuck Grassley!
It would be wonderful if Chuck resigned immediately. President Pelosi would have the power to appoint her own Vice Presidential pick. Although her appointment would need to be confirmed by a majority vote of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, she does get to choose. Hey, we may have a woman President and vice President next year!
Vice President Hillary Clinton? VP Michelle Obama?
Who would you like to see in the White House with President Pelosi?
Thought-Provoking Articles:
Manhattan Offices Are Nearly Empty, Threatening New York City’s Recovery - About 1 in 10 office workers have returned since Covid-19 hit, far fewer than elsewhere, hurting local businesses
“The selfish hypocrisy of champagne lockdownism is demolishing our society” – Another excellent column from Sherelle Jacobs in the Telegraph shining a light on the selfishness and hypocrisy of the lockdown zealots
Joe Biden Pulls Campaign Ads As Donald Trump Heads to Hospital for COVID-19 Treatment - Does anyone think Trump will play fair as well?
“How much does it cost to save lives from Covid?” – Simon Wood in the Spectator says the Government is not getting value for money in its public health interventions
How Trump is radicalizing the left - White identity politics on the right and "woke" identity politics on the left feed off each other. A Trump victory would just perpetuate this vicious cycle.
“Why your positive test result is likely wrong” – Good summary of the problems with tests and “cases” from Rob Verkerk at the ANH
Something Interesting:
I find cults intriguing. This docu-series explores a modern cult with all kinds of twists and turns in each episode:
Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain't Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University's School of Business and is a 25 year veteran of the fast-paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including "Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical and Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill. Also, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.