Posted on 05/13/2017 2:58:23 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
After a tumultuous week for President Donald Trump, a lot of people are talking impeachment. First, he fired former FBI director James Comey, then admitted he did so while considering the Trump-Russia investigation in a nationally televised interview. Days later, he tweeted the suggestion that he may have secretly recorded a conversation with Comey. With impeachment foremost in many people's minds, you might be wondering what Trump's removal from office would mean for the executive branch. Namely, would Mike Pence become president if Trump were impeached?
If you're a Democrat or a progressive dreaming of impeachment, it's worth pumping the brakes. Because of all the people floating the idea, Republicans in Congress are not among them, and nothing will happen unless they decide to break ranks. Under different circumstances ― either with a less brutally servile GOP, or one faced with a Democratic president who'd been behaving this way ― you can rest assured the talk would already have begun.
But Republicans seem utterly unwilling to do so, even when confronted by what looks a lot like an effort to obstruct a federal investigation. As such, the impeachment scenario will probably not come up. But if it did, and assuming Pence were not similarly implicated in serious wrongdoing, the answer would be yes: you'd be looking at President Pence.
Of course, it's worth noting that the last time a president resigned in disgrace, just narrowly ahead of being impeached outright, his original vice president was no longer standing. Former president Richard Nixon won in 1972 with Spiro Agnew as his vice president, but Agnew resigned amid a tax evasion scandal less than a year before Nixon departed. As a result, Agnew's replacement as vice president, Gerald Ford, ended up in the Oval Office.
There's no particular reason to think Pence would be brought down, however. As a well-liked and relatively stable member of the Republican establishment, he's ostensibly even more insulated from consequences than Trump is ― and nobody on the Republican side is making a serious move against Trump.
It is true that there are some major unanswered questions about his role in some elements of the Trump-Russia controversy, however. The most recent and glaring being the fact that he claimed Comey's firing was done at the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and had nothing to do with the Russia investigation, a story that imploded almost immediately when Trump admitted to NBC News' Lester Holt that he'd decided to fire Comey before talking to Rosenstein, thanks at least in part to "this Russia thing."
(VIDEO-AND-TWEET-AT-LINK)
In the unlikely event that Pence were somehow removed from office before Trump, a new vice president would be selected by Trump, although they'd require a majority approval by both the House and Senate. In the event Trump and Pence were removed from office at the same time, the presidency would go to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. And if Ryan for some reason couldn't serve, then you'd be looking at President Orrin Hatch. (Hatch is a Republican senator from Utah who is the current President pro tempore, which makes him third in line to the presidency.)
But rest assured, with GOP majorities in both the House and Senate, Trump getting the boot is extremely unlikely. As such, none of this is likely to come into play ― that is, unless there's an absolute decimation of the Republican Party in the 2018 midterm elections.
Im sure it would go to Hillary she came in first last
This is a very liberal way of thinking, this article.
They think that things happen because people want it to happen. Ignoring, of course, the fact that we have a rulebook.
To them, it’s only about what the elites want. You know, Commies and all.
No, they don’t. It’s all part of the demoncrap/commie plan.
Why would Trump be impeached ? Fake news!
No, many schools have abandoned civics classes.
Sadly, we have an ignorant generation behind us, who don’t know some of the basics of how our government works.
They sure are idiots.
Ford became President when Nixon resigned.
Johnson became President when Kennedy died.
VP becomes President
True, the way the game is played these days, I am thinking if Trump is impeached it would go to HIllary C. So, since Trump is riding a popular wave and Hillary is down in the polls, looks like Trump won’t be impeached. Nothing is based upon LAW or REASON, only feelings and imaginations. Remember this... FEELINGS is the Trump card in this game.
Still it would be a feather in their cap if he were to be taken out. How about resigning 2 years into his 2nd term? This would be under the condition that the GOP holds both houses of congress. Set Pence up for 10 years. Pence may not be mean enough for the job though.
Impeach Trump and we’ll have civil war in the streets. Very few will accept an endless witch hunt that results in a political prosecution.
Pence seems like a decent enough guy, but I don’t have any sense that he is a fighter. He’d be coopted in 5 seconds flat.
There are no grounds for impeachment anyway.
The Uniparty would love to impeach and remove Trump.
Pence becomes President and selects/is forced to select Jeb Bush to be his VP, to wild acclaim.
Don’t laugh.
This is the plan.
Pray everyday for Trump, his family, and those loyal to him.
And pray against those arrayed those who oppose him.
That’s what happened in Indiana when they pushed back on a religious freedom bill.
If Trump is Impeached a civil war is more likely.
Unless she banks at Fifth Third. In that case, the Wizard of Oz would take over, Santa Claus would become the new Wizard, and the Easter Bunny would be the new Santa.
he tweeted the suggestion that he may have secretly recorded a conversation with Comey.
= = =
Nope, he implied that you (Comey) better have a tape if you want to say something different than what happened.
They’ll sign a petition or something.
That’ll make it happen.
All they need is 100,000 signatures and the House is forced to start impeachment proceedings.
“Namely, would Mike Pence become president if Trump were Impeached?”
Really lame question.
In actual fact however, Republicans in the House are the key to impeachment. If enough decided Trump was doing severe damage, they might join with dems in the House to take that first step.
It would have to get pretty bad, for that.
But the Impeachment step was taken, my sense is that enough Republicans in the Senate would join dems and remove Trump, if he had not yet resigned.
The reason Republicans would join in both chambers is the Pence aspect.
I was and remain with Trump, but he is not making it easy for himself. But blame needs to go where it is deserved. The healthcare fiasco is Ryan’s thing.
“But Republicans seem utterly unwilling to do so, even when confronted by what looks a lot like an effort to obstruct a federal investigation.”
And to put it VERY SIMPLY - if the Republicans tried to impeach Trump, while Trump is still EXTREMELY POPULAR with his base, those Republicans, TO A PERSON, would never again see a day in power in DC.
So, sorry Leftists, the you guys will need to actually WIN ELECTIONS, if you want to take out Republicans - you will not get ANY HELP from our party, especially considering all you’ve done to us.
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