Succession After Impeachment: Would JD Vance Become President?
If President Donald Trump were to be impeached by the House and then removed from office by a two-thirds vote in the Senate, Vice President JD Vance would constitutionally become President of the United States. However, as of now, no such removal has occurred.
What Has Happened So Far?
There have been calls for President Trump’s impeachment, most notably from Elon Musk, who publicly suggested that Vice President JD Vance should replace Trump if he were removed from office.
Impeachment efforts are ongoing and frequent in recent years, but removal from office requires a separate Senate conviction, which is historically rare and politically challenging.
What Does the Constitution Say?
The U.S. Constitution states that if the president is removed from office, the vice president automatically assumes the presidency.
Therefore, if Trump were impeached by the House and convicted (removed) by the Senate, JD Vance, as vice president, would immediately become president.
What Are the Political Realities?
While JD Vance is seen as a likely successor and is highly regarded within the Republican Party, Trump himself has not publicly endorsed Vance as his definitive successor, repeatedly stating that it is too early for such decisions.
Vance is considered a front-runner for the 2028 GOP nomination, but his immediate succession to the presidency would only happen if Trump left office before the end of his term, either by impeachment and removal, resignation, or death.
JD Vance would become president only if Trump is both impeached by the House and convicted (removed) by the Senate. As of now, this has not happened—there are only calls and political speculation about such a scenario. Should Trump be removed, Vance, as vice president, would constitutionally be next in line and would assume the presidency automatically.
