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onenote

(46,125 posts)
20. I'm not sure about that.
Wed May 10, 2017, 06:20 PM
May 2017

The provision reads as follows:

"Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'"

Generally speaking, an oath or affirmation must be administered by a public official. For all oaths required of federal officials other the president, federal law specifies who is authorized to administer the oath. The silence of the constitution and the US code with respect to how the oath of the president is given/taken could be read as meaning that anything goes. But in practice, everyone who has served as president has taken the oath before a public official. In most instances, it has been the Chief Justice or and associate justice of the Supreme Court, but there have been a few instances where the oath was given before a lower federal court or state court judge and one instance (Calvin Coolidge) where the oath was give before a Justice of the Peace/notary public.

I doubt the issue will ever come up.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

. jberryhill May 2017 #1
Old school sarisataka May 2017 #4
Does it matter? Shell_Seas May 2017 #2
Jeez. Tommy_Carcetti May 2017 #3
+1,000 CountAllVotes May 2017 #5
Depressing, huh? Shell_Seas May 2017 #6
Nope. nolabear May 2017 #22
Polonium? lpbk2713 May 2017 #7
I believe the procedure is . . . gratuitous May 2017 #8
I have a mental image of two burly agents hauling a kicking and screaming Trump out the WH door. Tommy_Carcetti May 2017 #9
As to a President Pence gratuitous May 2017 #10
I would just plan on calling him "Ex Vice President Pence." Tommy_Carcetti May 2017 #13
wouldn;t it be more fun OriginalGeek May 2017 #16
The swearing in is not just "for show". onenote May 2017 #14
The constitution does not prescribe any particular method jberryhill May 2017 #19
I'm not sure about that. onenote May 2017 #20
Yeah, or a boat captain jberryhill May 2017 #21
After the HoR votes to impeach ... DaleFromWPB May 2017 #11
Maybe we could find a giant Havahart trap and bait it with money. That would get him out. Vinca May 2017 #12
The same way he fired Comey? SeattleVet May 2017 #15
All that is really needed is a single tweet. Hugin May 2017 #17
It begins with the GOP growing a backbone RainCaster May 2017 #18
Impeachment doesn't work MyNameGoesHere May 2017 #23
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