Death of the President Elect

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the question of who becomes President if the president-elect dies or becomes incapacitated between the counting of electoral votes and the inauguration. The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution of the United seems plenty plain to me, but there are apparently people in our nation who cannot understand it.

                I could not find anything from CNN about it, but numerous news organizations are claiming that CNN aired an erroneous report. Paul Joseph Watson writes that the report entitled Disaster Could Put Obama Cabinet Member in Oval Office, supposedly said that an Obama appointee would become President of the United States if Donald Trump were killed before the inauguration. According to Watson, some specified individual – an Obama appointee known as the “designated presidential successor” will be secured someplace during the inauguration just in case an attack takes place “as the transfer of power is underway.”

                Section 3 of the Twentieth Amendment, however, states: “If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President.” This would also be the case for whatever caused a President-elect to not be able to fulfill the duties of the office.

              It sounds to me like CNN and all those people and organizations publishing this fake news are suggesting that someone kill Donald Trump during his inauguration. To me they are sending out a low-tone threat to Mr. Trump. I am more than grateful that the inauguration of President Trump and Vice President Pence was as peaceful as it was in spite of the liberal protesters destroying property, even torching a limo.

                There is a procedure in place for the President-elect to select someone to act as “designated survivor.” The role of designated survivor was born during “the Cold War under the specter of nuclear war, has been provided with presidential-level security and transportation.

                Donald Trump selected Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) as his designated survivor and given the responsibility to make sure the government continues in case of attack at the inauguration site. Senator Hatch is the president pro tem of the Senate and, as such, is third in line for the presidency. He is the highest-ranking person to act in this position. The Senator went to an undisclosed location that was not only secure but was some distance away. Even though he had planned to attend the inauguration, he was “honored to perform this important constitutional duty, which ensures the continuity of government.” (Ted Walch)