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1:37Now PlayingIf the president becomes incapacitated, what happens next? | Just The FAQs
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1:37Now PlayingIf the president dies or is unable to continue their duties, what's next? The 25th amendment lays out the rules and line of succession.
WASHINGTON – Since President Donald Trump disclosed early Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus, White House officials have sought to assure the country that the president remains well enough to discharge his duties even as he was readied for transfer to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
If Trump's condition worsens, leaving the 74-year-old commander-in-chief incapacitated, the Constitution provides for a line of authority to steer the government in his absence.
Under the 25th Amendment, the president could notify House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and the Senate majority's senior member, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, that he is unable to function, transferring power to Vice President Mike Pence until the president indicates that he is able to return.
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