Imagine the following scenario: On the 9th of January 2024 in the morning we wake up to news that President of the USA Joe Biden suffered a stroke and died in White House. The administration confirms that the death was entirely natural and no third party contributed to it. Even before the news reach all TV stations another one breaks: Former president of the USA Donald Trump has suffered a cardiac arrest and died in his residence in Mar a Lago. Early reports claim that the site was secure and no malicious actor could reasonably reach Mr. Trump so the death is most likely natural.

What happens then?

  • Sharpiemarker@startrek.website
    0·
    8 months ago

    Neither have been elected yet. The Democrat and Republican parties would both nominate new candidates for president and then people would vote on them..

    Wait, if you’re talking about after they’ve been elected then the vice president becomes the president, followed by the speaker of the house if the vice president is incapacitated.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession#:~:text=The order of succession specifies,of the Senate%2C and then

  • neptune@dmv.socialEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    Probably the parties and their donors would scramble to replace them.

    Harris has a leg up as she would be promoted to President and would be the incumbent. But she might not be prepared for a primary. Probably Gavin Newsom, her and a couple people would fight over some key endorsements and donors.

    Well Chris Christie and Mike Pence would probably kick themselves as they just dropped out of the race. In a lot of ways, the republican race wouldn’t change much. At least Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis would still be fighting over the voters not waiting for Trump to resurrect three days later.

    The really dicy shit happens if the winning candidate dies before inauguration.

    • GreenPlasticSushiGrass@kbin.social
      0·
      8 months ago

      I’m not sure anyone on the dem side would primary Harris, however. If she is primaried, Gavin Newsome would probably be sworn in about this time next year.

      On edit: jmho

  • Pika@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    Honestly, I think if Trump died instantaneous there would be a massive movement claiming that the current Administration was the cause of death and they would use the most recent judicial hearing regarding Seal Team 6 as evidence towards it. There would be no proof of anything because like you said it was a natural death but that would not be enough to prove anything and I believe there would still be riots

    As for if the president dropped dead, the vice president would take over and there would likely be an investigation into an assassination attempt but I don’t think anything would come out of it because like mentioned it would be a natural death.

  • 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    Sanely, the vice president takes over for the duration of the term and the primary goes as usual, just missing the two previous top picks. That being said we live in a society with a disturbing amount of violent conspiracy theorists so no telling what the aftermath of that one would be.