What Is the Presidential Line of Succession?
The presidential line of succession is the order in which government officials assume the powers and duties of the President of the United States if the President dies, resigns, is removed from office, or becomes unable to serve. The line is established by the Constitution and federal law.
The current line of succession
| Order | Office | Current Holder | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vice President | JD Vance | Republican |
| 2 | Speaker of the House | Mike Johnson | Republican |
| 3 | President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Chuck Grassley | Republican |
| 4 | Secretary of State | Marco Rubio | Republican |
| 5 | Secretary of the Treasury | Scott Bessent | Republican |
| 6 | Secretary of Defense | Pete Hegseth | Republican |
| 7 | Attorney General | Pam Bondi | Republican |
The full line continues through all 15 cabinet departments in the order they were created.
How it works
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1967, provides the primary framework for presidential succession. Section 1 states that the Vice President becomes President if the President dies or resigns. Sections 3 and 4 address temporary transfers of power when the President is incapacitated.
Beyond the Vice President, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 establishes the order: Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, then cabinet secretaries in the order their departments were created (State, Treasury, Defense, and so on). To be eligible, an individual must meet the constitutional requirements for the presidency: natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and at least 14 years a resident of the United States.
Why the Speaker is second in line
The Speaker’s position at #2 in the line of succession (after the Vice President) reflects the principle that elected officials should take precedence over appointed cabinet members. The Speaker is elected by the full House of Representatives, which is the chamber closest to the people through direct, proportional representation. This arrangement ensures that if both the President and Vice President are unable to serve, the presidency passes to a leader chosen by elected representatives rather than appointed by the outgoing president.
Last updated: April 2, 2026.