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 underta

See Full Page