It’s only happened eight times in the 248-year history of the United States of America: the President dying while in office.
Four of these deaths were natural, and four were by assassination. In each instance, the line of succession is clear.
The most recent President to die in office was John F. Kennedy, who was shot and killed in November 1963 while riding in a motorcade in Texas.
Kennedy’s death allowed for a vital Constitutional Amendment to be adopted in 1967, making what comes next after the President’s death easier to understand.
The 25th Amendment reads: ‘The Vice President shall become President if the President is removed from office, dies, or resigns.’
But the process of alerting the public, setting up funeral arrangements and dealing with the aftermath is a massive undertaking.
Here’s all you need to know about what happens if the unthinkable unfolds.
What happens if the president dies?
If the President dies, the first person to be told would be the Vice President – the next in line to succeed them.
In 1963, this process unfolded for the first time in the public eye after Kennedy’s assassination, when Lyndon B. Johnson swore the oath as President on Air Force One.
After that, a number of things unfold. The public will be told, and flags will be lowered to half-staff for at least 30 days.
If the President does not die in Washington, DC, the casket will be transported back to the nation’s capital.
When former President Jimmy Carter died in January, his coffin was taken to DC after lying in state, and was brought in a horse-drawn procession to a church for the funeral.
The President’s casket, draped in an American flag, will likely lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, where the public can pay their respects, not dissimilar to Queen Elizabeth’s lying in state.
Though the President is a governmental employee, his funeral will be planned by their own family.
But funerals for US leaders vary in both time and pomp and circumstance. Some last for three days, others, up to seven.
The funeral service itself is a major event, and would be televised internationally, as world leaders gather to pay their respects.
During the burial, a 50-gun salute, representing the 50 states, is carried out. Presidents are able to be buried where they wish, though some choose Arlington Cemetery, where 400,000 former servicepeople and politicians are buried.
What is the line of succession?
If the President dies, the next in line is the Vice-President. The VP would then nominate a new Vice President, who must be confirmed by a majority vote in both houses of Congress.
If they are unable to serve for any reason, the role then passes to the Speaker of the House.
From there, the line goes as follows: the President of the Senate, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defence, Attorney General, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and then Secretary of Homeland Security.
Which Presidents have died in office?
The first President to die in office was William Henry Harrison, who died on April 4, 1841.
In 1850, President Zachary Taylor died after eating a large amount of food during July 4 celebrations.
President Abraham Lincoln is well-known for his death – he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play on April 14, 1865.
President James A Garfield was also assassinated, in 1881, by Charles J Guiteau. He survived for a few weeks, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
In 1901, President William McKinley was shot and killed by Leon Czolgosz while meeting the public in Buffalo, New York. He died eight days after from gangrene.
President Warren G Harding, while in office in 1923, died after having a sudden heart attack in California.
Franklin D Roosevelt also died of natural causes, a cerebral haemorrhage, on April 12, 1945.
Lastly, John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while visiting Dallas, Texas, in a motorcade on November 22, 1963.
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