The U.S. has a clear line of succession if a president can’t serve, designed to keep the government stable even in chaos.
It starts with the vice president but stretches deep into Congress and the Cabinet — an ordered list that’s rarely discussed until crisis looms.
Here’s how the line looks.
Vice President
First in line. Steps in immediately if the president dies, resigns, or is removed.
Speaker of the House
Second in line. The highest-ranking member of Congress after the VP.
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Third. Traditionally the senior-most senator of the majority party.
Secretary of State
The first Cabinet member in the line, reflecting foreign policy’s central role.
Secretary of the Treasury
Controls the country’s purse strings — next after State.
Secretary of Defense
The Pentagon chief steps in after Treasury.
Attorney General
As head of the Justice Department, next in line after Defense.
Remaining Cabinet Secretaries
The rest of the order runs through Homeland Security, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security — added last in 2006.
Prediction
The line of succession is clear on paper, but in practice it would spark fierce fights. Imagine a Speaker from the opposition party suddenly stepping in, or a Cabinet reshuffle midcrisis. In today’s polarized climate, the legal order could clash hard with political reality.
