# Kamala Harris first female acting President of the United States (for a few hours) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** kamala-harris\ **Created:** [November 19, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637 "2021-11-19T18:35:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/1 "2021-11-19T18:35:02Z")
For a couple hours, Mr. Biden briefly transfered the duties of the Presidency to Ms. Harris while he was having a colonoscopy. He invoked the Article II section 1 clause 6\* (Bush did this twice). A couple hours later Mr. Biden resumed his duties. That makes Ms. Harris the first female acting President. A bit of trivia history for the future, I suppose. Good for her! ~Max ETA: a previous version of this post erroneously cited the 25th Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/2 "2021-11-19T18:36:43Z")
First official one. Mrs. Wilson was acting President for about 17 months. > **[Edith Wilson: The First Lady Who Became an Acting President — Without Being...](https://www.biography.com/news/edith-wilson-first-president-biography-facts)** > > For one year and five months, the First Lady oversaw her husband's affairs while he recovered from his illness. Some of her decisions had serious consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/3 "2021-11-19T18:38:49Z")
Oh, that’s right! I should have remembered that, Mrs. Wilson was a big reason we have the 25th amendment. (the other reason being Kennedy’s assassination leaving the VP position vacant) ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/4 "2021-11-19T18:51:58Z")
Well, what executive orders or other major actions did Acting Prez Harris do? What good was it if no executive orders? I wanted executive orders! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/5 "2021-11-19T18:53:36Z")
Nitpick. Kamala is the correct spelling of her name. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/6 "2021-11-19T19:01:38Z")
Good point and fixed. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/7 "2021-11-19T19:08:08Z")
I was also right the first time when I said the 25th instead of Article II. :facepalm: Oh well… ~Max ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/8 "2021-11-19T19:10:38Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > First official one. Mrs. Wilson was acting President for about 17 months. As you said, the first official. Mrs. Wilson would go into the bedroom alone, return and say, “The President’s will is such and such.” ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/9 "2021-11-19T19:38:15Z")
Can you imagine the firestorm if she had issued an executive order, even if it was a “harmless” one? Heads would explode. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/10 "2021-11-19T22:41:58Z")
An executive order mandating the explosion of certain heads in DC would have been interesting. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/11 "2021-11-19T22:46:33Z")
Imagine if she’d issued an executive order doing something the right wants. Like making a wilderness area slightly _smaller._ 🤯 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/12 "2021-11-19T23:23:50Z")
It’d kind of like watching Kirk and Nomad in “The Changeling.” ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/13 "2021-11-19T23:35:58Z")
Is there still space on Mt. Rushmore ? At the risk of objectifying Vice President Harris, she really would look _awfully_ good up there. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/14 "2021-11-21T22:34:54Z")
I can’t help but imagine that during the time she was acting President, she was surrounded by older (white) men in dark suits with serious expressions and their hands clasped in front of their groins. If she so much as flinched they would step forward and quietly intone, “Madame President, please don’t touch that…” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/15 "2021-11-26T21:21:21Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > “Madame President, please don’t touch that…” Oh, please. Biden was smart and made the right call to get a sedative. I’ve had a couple of coloscopies you come out of the sedative real, real quick. Clear as a bell. Trump is such a wimp and liar I very much doubt he did not have a sedative. It’s bad enough though that he made any decisions. But Trump making a serious decision under serious pain? Um no. He’d probably call in a strike on Walter Reed Hospital. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/16 "2021-11-27T00:40:34Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Um no. He’d probably call in a strike on Walter Reed Hospital. kinda hard for him to talk with the tube stuck there. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/17 "2021-11-27T00:44:03Z")
> [@simster](#): > > > [@enipla](#): > > > > Um no. He’d probably call in a strike on Walter Reed Hospital. > > kinda hard for him to talk with the tube stuck there. - Which end? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/18 "2021-11-27T00:48:25Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Which end? He’s always talking out his ass - ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/19 "2021-11-27T00:56:01Z")
It’s not always easy to tell. [![](https://ietp-web-cdn-eandt-cache.azureedge.net/4/0/7/b/5/3/407b53de97353d018babda881d26acbe2d2e5a35.jpg) ](https://ietp-web-cdn-eandt-cache.azureedge.net/4/0/7/b/5/3/407b53de97353d018babda881d26acbe2d2e5a35.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637/20 "2021-11-27T01:31:00Z")
Talking shit mode effective! Anus mouth functional and ready! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-first-female-acting-president-of-the-united-states-for-a-few-hours/954637.md?page=2)