With the news of President Trump testing positive for COVID-19, the public are now wondering what will happen if he falls seriously ill.
Pence replacing Trump
According to the CDC, seniors and those with weight issues are considered high risk, and President Trump falls into the category.
If the 74-year-old president becomes seriously ill and requires hospitalization, the whole election process has been thrown into doubt.
However, there is a possibility that Vice President Mike Pence would replace President Trump on the election ballot if the President becomes incapacitated from COVID-19.
According to the rules of the Republican National Committee, it is empowered to fill vacancies, which may occur by reason of death, declination, or otherwise of the party's candidate for president and vice-president.
The RNC can also use the national convention for the purpose of filling any such vacancies. All 168 members of the RNC would have to meet to vote on Trump's replacement.
Under the rules of the RNC, three members from each state and three from six territories cast the same number of votes that they were entitled to cast the national convention. Vice President Mike Pence or another candidate could then replace President Trump on the ballot paper.
President Trump could temporarily hand over power to his vice president should he become incapacitated while undergoing a medical procedure as treatment for the coronavirus.
Under the Constitution's 25th Amendment, President Trump could declare in writing his inability to discharge his duties.
Vice President Mike Pence would become acting president, although Trump would remain in office. He could regain his powers by declaring in writing that he is again ready to discharge him.
If the vice-president is also unable to discharge his duties, the Constitution puts the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, next in line for the presidency.
Trump's health
President Trump testing positive for the virus is the most serious known public health scare encountered by any sitting American president in recent history, according to Newsweek.
The presidential election is in six weeks, and this should be the time that he's on the campaign trail in a bid to close the gap between him and Democratic rival Joe Biden in the pills. Instead, he needs to be in quarantine for the next two weeks.
The President will now be off the campaign trail, and he will remain in the White House for an unspecified amount of time. If he is sick for a prolonged period, then that casts doubt about whether he should still be on the ballot.
President Trump may suffer a devastating impact on his political prospects as he tested positive for the virus after he has played down the impact of it. He is behind in the polls and was judge by the public to have lost the opening debate against Biden on September 29.
The next debate is on October 15, the date comes just as the president will be ending his two weeks in isolation, which then raises the question if he will be ready by then.
