# pre-Presidential succession

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-presidential-succession/501468>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [June 30, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-presidential-succession/501468 "2009-06-30T13:44:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-presidential-succession/501468/1 "2009-06-30T13:44:57Z")

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> **[What if the U.S. president and vice president-elect die before being sworn in?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341305/what-if-the-u-s-president-and-vice-president-elect-die-before-being-sworn-in)**

I don’t personally subscribe to the view that Taylor didn’t become president until he took the oath. There’s nothing in the Constitution that says a president’s term begins at the instant he completes the oath; it begins at noon on January 20 (these days) (or, more properly, his predecessor’s term ends at noon on January 20. Granted, according to the plain wording, Taylor couldn’t execute the duties of the office until he took the oath, but he was still president on the appointed day.

Or am I misreading the Constitution?  
Powers &8^]

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-presidential-succession/501468/2 "2009-06-30T17:03:54Z")

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[I disagree](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10717017).

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-presidential-succession/501468/3 "2009-06-30T17:28:28Z")

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[I disagree to the disagreement!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10717967&postcount=11)

Read that whole thread. There is no settled conclusion to this argument.

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-presidential-succession/501468/4 "2009-06-30T19:57:27Z")

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There won’t be unless and until something happens that forces a precedent to be set. God willing, that won’t ever happen.