# The gap between the VPOTUS swearing-in and the POTUS swearing-in

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gap-between-the-vpotus-swearing-in-and-the-potus-swearing-in/931033>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 20, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gap-between-the-vpotus-swearing-in-and-the-potus-swearing-in/931033 "2021-01-20T22:50:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gap-between-the-vpotus-swearing-in-and-the-potus-swearing-in/931033/21 "2021-01-22T21:49:03Z")

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**Moderating**

This is just a reminder to keep the discussion civil.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gap-between-the-vpotus-swearing-in-and-the-potus-swearing-in/931033/22 "2021-01-23T03:04:55Z")

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> [@Pleonast](#):
>
> Taking the oath of office does not cause one to be president. Being president causes one to take the oath of office. The direction of causality is important. People get confused because the oath of office is given near when a president’s term starts. The oath of office is a requirement of being president, but the timing of it is not mandated.

As an example, one of those stupid will-never-die supposed “facts” that constantly appear on internet lists of nonsense states that Sen. David Rice Atchison, was president for one day because Zachary Taylor did not want to take the oath of office on a Sunday. (Prior to the 20th amendment, inauguration would have been March 4, 1849, a Sunday.)

This, of course, is nonsense. Taylor became president on March 4, he just declined to start work until Monday, when he took his oath.

In those days it was far less important for a president to be available 24/7; things didn’t happen as quickly as they do today. So nobody thought much of Taylor enjoying the weekend.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gap-between-the-vpotus-swearing-in-and-the-potus-swearing-in/931033/23 "2021-01-23T15:23:47Z")

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Right. Of course the whole idea that Atchison was president is absurd, since he didn’t take the oath either. If taking the oath was necessary to be president, he was no more president than Taylor. So no matter how you look at it, either Taylor was president on Sunday (he was), or no one was.

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