# President Obama, Vice President Pence

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-vice-president-pence/777684>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 21, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-vice-president-pence/777684 "2017-01-21T02:17:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-vice-president-pence/777684/21 "2017-01-21T22:40:14Z")

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> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> The president-elect’s oath isn’t meaningless; it’s what terminates the previous presidency. As stated upthread, the promoted VP serves only the remainder of the previous president’s term. This ends as soon as the president-elect is sworn in.

Actually, upon reading **Northern Piper** ’s post #7, I withdraw this. If the constitution prescribes that terms begin at a set time, then the timing of the oaths aren’t relevant. If Obama resigns before noon, then Biden becomes president. If he resigns after noon, then the resignation is null and void, because his term already ended.

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