Fiction regarding United States presidential succession
Several novels, films, and television series have speculated regarding the United States presidential line of succession and in what ways it would be implemented in unusual circumstances. The following are some examples of fictional portrayals of presidential succession:
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Books
- The Man by Irving Wallace (1964): The Vice President had died of a heart attack, and the office is vacant (the novel is set in the mid-1960s, before the ratification of the 25th Amendment). The President and the Speaker of the House both die accidentally in Europe, and the President pro tempore of the Senate, an African-American, becomes President. The conservative members of both parties soon find pretexts to impeach him.
- Line of Succession by Brian Garfield (1972): During the period between the Election and Inauguration Day, the President-elect and the Vice-President-elect are both killed by terrorists, along with the Speaker of the House. The President pro tempore of the Senate is totally unacceptable as President. The incumbent President, defeated for re-election in November, wants to use the situation to stay in office.
- Thirty-Four East by Alfred Coppel (1974): The Vice President is kidnapped by Arab terrorists during a visit to the Middle East; at the same time, the President is killed in the accidental crash of Air Force One. With the Vice President incapacitated, the Speaker of the House, a weak man manipulated by the ambitious Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becomes Acting President while the world is on the verge of World War III.
- Full Disclosure by William Safire (1978): The President becomes blind after an assassination attempt. Some members of the Cabinet think this constitutes a disability to discharge the duties of his office and vote to replace him by the Vice President under the terms of the 25th Amendment.
- Trinity's Child by William Prochnau (1983): A massive nuclear attack on the United States wipes out Washington and half of the Cabinet. The Secretary of the Interior assumes the Presidency and continues to fight World War III. The real President is found to still be living; however, the Secretary of the Interior refuses to relinquish his new office. Thus, the United States of America, for several hours, has two Presidents giving conflicting orders during a time a great peril.
- Debt of Honor/Executive Orders by Tom Clancy (1994/1996): After the Vice President resigns following a sex scandal, National Security Advisor Jack Ryan is appointed to fill the position for the remainder of the term. During a joint session of Congress, he is confirmed by unanimous voice vote. Before he is sworn in, however, a crazed pilot crashes his fuel-laden 747 into the capitol (in an attack eerily similar to 9/11), killing almost everyone inside, including the President. Ryan, who barely escapes, is sworn in as the new President, but the legitimacy of his administration is challenged by the former Vice President, who claims he never really resigned.
- Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan (Ongoing series, 2003-): In this ongoing series of graphic novels published by DC Comics, every male mammal on the planet, except for two, simultaneously die of a mysterious plague. As a result, the Secretary of Agriculture is appointed to fill the position of President until order is restored and elections can be held. Conflict erupts when the wives of dead Republican congressmen attempt an armed coup, complaining that the Republican party is severely underrepresented in the now all-female senate and house.
Films
- The Man (1972), a made-for-TV adaptation of the Irving Wallace book. Screenplay by Rod Serling, starring James Earl Jones, Martin Balsam and Burgess Meredith.
- By Dawn's Early Light (1990), adaptation of William Prochnau's novel Trinity's Child (see above), starring Powers Boothe, Rebecca De Mornay, and James Earl Jones.
- Dave (1993), starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver: A stroke causes the President to falls into a coma and the White House Chief of Staff hires a look-alike double to appear as the President to prevent the Vice President, who he regards as too ethical and moral, from becoming Acting President. After much behind-the-scenes politics, the look-alike double switches back with the real president, who is still in a coma and is subsequently declared medically unfit for office, at which time the Vice President assumes the office of President.
- The Enemy Within (1994), made-for-TV version of the novel Seven Days in May by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey, starring Forest Whitaker and Jason Robards: The President is challenged for authority by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. To obtain power, the Chairman plans to have the President declared incompetent by the Cabinet and replaced by the Vice President, who would then be a "puppet" to the Chairman. (This implementation of the planned coup d'etat differs from that of the original novel.)
- Air Force One – Believing that the President of the United States has been captured by terrorists and is being forced into using his authority to release a terrorist leader, the Secretary of Defense urges the invoking of Section 4 of the 25th amendment in conjunction with the Cabinet. The entire Cabinet signs the letter to Congress, but the Vice President waits before deciding on signing and finalizing the matter.
- The Postman: Set in an post-apocalyptic America, the last President of the United States has been killed years before at the "Battle of Georgetown". Military dictator-generals have assumed power in his place. A lone drifter declares that the United States has been restored and that "under the authority of the Restored Congress", the "Restored United States" has appointed a new President (named Richard Starkey) who is governing the country from Minneapolis.
- The Day After Tomorrow – the President dies in the aftermath of a sudden catastrophe caused by global warming. The Vice President becomes President.
Television series
- 24: A majority of the President's Cabinet invokes the 25th Amendment to remove the President from office, and the Vice President becomes President. The reason for removal is not that the President is physically ill or disabled, but rather that the cabinet believes he is making irrational decisions. This succession would have been controversial as the Cabinet removed the President from office without written notice to Congress. Though initially isolated by the complicity of military and intelligence chiefs, he would have been able to legally dispute the invocation of the 25th Amendment and empowered to discharge the duties of President while the dispute was settled. The Vice-President is counting on the court of public opinion to retroactively endorse his actions. However, the President's decisions are shown to be rational within a few hours of his removal and the Vice-President and supporting Cabinet members retract their earlier vote.
- The West Wing, episodes 4.23–5.02 (2003): The President's daughter is kidnapped by terrorists. Feeling he is incapable of acting rationally and wishing to diminish the leverage of the kidnappers, the President invokes the 25th Amendment, relinquishing power temporarily. Because the Vice President has recently resigned following a sex scandal, power passes to the Speaker of the House, who is a member of the opposing party. When the crisis ends, the President again submits a written notice to the leaders of Congress and resumes the office.