If the President Tests Positive for the Virus, What Happens?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- The news last week that President Trump’s valet and Vice President Pence’s press secretary had both contracted the coronavirus sent a scare through the White House. While officials said both leaders subsequently tested negative, the episode raised a worrisome possibility: What happens if Trump or Pence is stricken—or, worse, if both became ill at the same time?

The result could be anything from a temporary disruption to a full-blown constitutional crisis with competing claims on the presidency. What’s critical, experts say, is that the identity of the commander-in-chief be clear in any situation. At least one scenario could arise where it wouldn’t be.

The degree of economic and geopolitical fallout would depend heavily on the severity of the illness, and especially on whether Trump himself became incapacitated, say current and former White House officials and outside experts. “There’s a protocol for everything,” says David Axelrod, former senior White House adviser to Barack Obama. “We routinely went through drills for what to do in case of terrorist or nuclear attacks, but I honestly never anticipated a pandemic situation like the one the White House is facing now.”

Markets would almost certainly drop on news of a presidential diagnosis, says Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk consulting firm. But he expects traders would take comfort from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s recovery from his recent bout of Covid-19. Although Johnson deputized Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to handle some duties when he entered intensive care on April 7, he never formally transferred power; Johnson has now returned to work and resumed his full slate of duties.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/if-the-president-tests-positive-for-the-virus-what-happens/ar-BB142ka2?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP

On the other hand there will be a lot of people celebrating.

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Jarvanka takes over.

It's in the Constitution.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Pench moves up.

If Pence goes down,it is President Pelosi.

[leftieNanner]

4. Which is why

They will hide it so that doesn't happen. And then if both of them "take the train", then they will do their best to wrangle somebody else into the spot. Would not be pretty.

[dmr]

27. That's what I fear.

To fool the masses, someone will start twittering bullshit, pretending to be Trump.

Yup, they'll do their best to hide Trump being incapacitated.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Only if it happens quicky enough that a successor VP can't be appointed.

It doesn't just roll to Pelosi after Pence. It rolls to Pence's VP.

[tinrobot]

15. But Pence's VP needs to be approved by the House / Senate

If he nominates a nutjob, the House might not approve and we'll be without a VP for a while.

[bluestarone]

21. I would hope the HOUSE refuses all VP picks

[karynnj]

20. You are correct that it has to be fast

Imagine Pence becomes infected. Until he is clearly dealing with a bad case, I doubt Trump would replace him, though he may already be considering who he might choose. As Axlerod said, contingency plans are considered. But what if before anyone is worried enough about Pence, Trump becomes very ill quickly and is not in a condition to nominate anyone. Then Pence takes a turn for the worse.

[leftieNanner]

3. Before I read the very informative body of your post

My first response was:

PARTY!!!!!

My guess is they will hide it for as long as they can.

[Swede]

5. I'll crack a beer.

Maybe more.

[dweller]

6. Social Distancing Party !!!

i could do this ...

✌🏼

[malaise]

7. I pop that effin' champagne cork n/t

[Blue Owl]

9. I'll personally volunteer to hand-dig the grave

n/t

[misanthrope]

26. That's a lot of digging

Have you seen that body? Might need a backhoe.

[SunsetDreams2]

10. He'll nuke China

Or we will have another Obama-gate

[Maru Kitteh]

11. Well, a few of the fireworks in my garage get shot off, for starters.

Some good booze will be opened, you know, so it can breathe.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. It's party time!

[Submariner]

13. Inject him with bleach and see what happens

[tulipsandroses]

23. 100 times this !!!

Don't forget to hit the body with the light.

[Skittles]

14. everyone gets a fucking break, I imagine

[Bettie]

16. Honestly? We hope

that he suffers. A. Lot.

[samnsara]

17. i asked this same question months.... or was it only weeks?......ago

...What if he tests positive and refuses to do any distancing or mask...what then? Are the secret service protected by a union...and the drivers? ..or are they all military?

[regnaD kciN]

18. There are clear procedures for this in the Constitution...

...however, if both T&P are incapacitated, look for those remaining in the White House to do all they can to obfuscate and delay those procedures, creating confusion so that they can come up with their own "I'm in charge here" situation while hoping the SCOTUS will go along with what would essentially be a "civilized" coup.

[dawg day]

19. We'll never know

He might have already tested positive, but we won't know. Those results will be buried along with his tax returns.

[we can do it]

22. ☠️

[Hekate]

24. Well, hopefully he suffers a whole lot. nt

[blitzen]

25. Obama gets blamed. n/t

[Crunchy Frog]

28. Can you imagine the rage tweeting, until he finally got too weak?

And the blessed silence once he'd been intubated?

[ellie]

29. We dance!

[A HERETIC I AM]

32. I was going to say....

“Dance floor rentals skyrocket!”.....

But yours is succinct and makes the same point!

[Iggo]

30. Some are saying drinking bleach kills the virus.

[LeftInTX]

31. He will just work for home

We won't see him on TV for awhile though!

I think he's too vane to set up his own taping equipment.

Of course, if he gets really sick Pence will step in. He really isn't needed except to sign orders and read his briefings etc.
Wasn't Shrub was in the hospital for a few days?


LBJ spent alot of time in the hospital

[Orrex]

33. Whatever happens in the days following that fucker's death, it'll be worth it.

As always, a very warm "go fuck yourselves" to the krazy konservative kultists lurking here from their various circle jerk forums.

[arthritisR_US]

34. Nothing happens because parasites destroy

viruses.