Can the POTUS "defect"?

[stui_magpie]

@aruvqan

Not sure I would consider hanging on the beach in Cairns is a particularly nutty action. :dubious:

Considering there’s really only a mud flat, not a beach at Cairns itself, you’d have to be a little nutty.

Slide a little further north (or south for that matter) and I’m completely with you.

[Leo_Bloom]

1. Since he’s Commander in Chief and he’s sunning in Australia, isn’t he AWOL? Or he himself gives himself leave, since he is CIC.

2. If Obama and Biden are both under impeachment vote, who breaks a Senate tie?

[TriPolar]

@Leo_Bloom

1. Since he’s Commander in Chief and he’s sunning in Australia, isn’t he AWOL? Or he himself gives himself leave, since he is CIC.

2. If Obama and Biden are both under impeachment vote, who breaks a Senate tie?

Doesn’t impeachment require a two-thirds majority to convict?

[Telemark]

@Leo_Bloom

1. Since he’s Commander in Chief and he’s sunning in Australia, isn’t he AWOL? Or he himself gives himself leave, since he is CIC.

The President is a civilian, not a member of the military.

[Hail_Ants]

@Leo_Bloom

2. If Obama and Biden are both under impeachment vote, who breaks a Senate tie?

In the special case of a presidential impeachment vote, in the event of a tie the Chief Justice of The Supreme Court would decide (regardless of whether the VP was involved or not).

[Leo_Bloom]

@Telemark

The President is a civilian, not a member of the military.

Yes, I forgot. Of course.

And Hail Ants, but isn’t TriPolar right, about three-fourths?

[Jophiel]

@kjckjc

After coming to the realization that the President isn’t looking to do any last minute shopping or get in another meeting, he just doesn’t want to leave. Ever. What happens? Can the Secret Service make him leave against his will?

Beyond all the other answers, I’d just note that this would be somewhat pointless. It’s not as though there’s value in making someone act as president under lock and key. If he doesn’t want the job (and refusing to return to DC would qualify), you’re better off just removing him from his post than trying to force it upon him.

[astorian]

The President can resign at any time, and go anywhere he wants. One President already has.

So, why in the world would he “defect” anywhere? Especially when, by definition, he/she MUST have spent years and millions of dollars to become President in the first place? People don’t get elected President unwillingly or by accident. If you have the job, you MUST have wanted iit really badly.

Even if a President decided, “I hate this job- I want to chuck it and go be a beach bum in Australia”, again, why defect? Why not just resign and buy a QANTAS ticket to Melbourne?

[TriPolar]

As a somewhat easier resolution, with the cooperation of the Vice President, congress could simply say “We accept your resignation Mr. President”, no matter what his actual words were. That would make the veep the President immediately, not just Acting President, and put an end to the matter. No one would have the constitutional authority to intervene, and it’s likely no one would care other than the ex-president perhaps. But impeachment could still be carried out in a day if everyone wants to be stickler for details.