# What's the legal penalty if any for spitting on the president? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886 "2006-09-08T05:43:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886/41 "2006-09-14T03:54:08Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] I know the penalty for throwing an egg at a Deputy Prime Minister is a solid left hook to the face. [http://www.unoriginal.co.uk/footage10\_6.html](http://www.unoriginal.co.uk/footage10_6.html). Prescott is an ex-boxer and still packs a mean punch. Try it with the President and the Secret Service will probably shoot you. [/QUOTE] Don’t try anything with (ex)[Prime Minister Chretien](http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/05/17/politics.fights/index.html), either. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886/42 "2006-09-14T09:25:59Z")
What is the legal penalty (if any) if the President spits on you? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886/43 "2006-09-14T11:34:33Z")
If I was the president, and someone spit on me, I’d have the Secret Service arrest the offender. Then the whole bunch of us would stand around and spit on _him_, so he knows what it’s like. Tobacco users preferred 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886/44 "2006-09-14T12:31:15Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] I know the penalty for throwing an egg at a Deputy Prime Minister is a solid left hook to the face. [/QUOTE] Look at it again. It’s a straight left; almost a jab. He throws it off of the front foot. ---
**Author:** ![\_tephen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/7cd45c/32.png) [@\_tephen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_tephen)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886/45 "2006-10-01T18:43:40Z")
[QUOTE=Hoopy Frood] If the letter of the law is to be taken, than, yes, a two-term vice president could be VP and become president again should the current Pres be unable to fulfill his duties. If the spirt of the law is to be taken, probably not. [/QUOTE] Or if, perhaps, say, elected? Ever heard of George Bush, Senior? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886/46 "2006-10-07T18:08:25Z")
[QUOTE=$tephen] Or if, perhaps, say, elected? Ever heard of George Bush, Senior? [/QUOTE] Ever bother reading a whole thread before responding. Say, for example, the post where I corrected my typo? ---
**Author:** ![\_tephen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/7cd45c/32.png) [@\_tephen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_tephen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886/47 "2006-10-07T18:32:23Z")
[QUOTE=Hoopy Frood] Ever bother reading a whole thread before responding. Say, for example, the post where I corrected my typo? [/QUOTE] Not normally. Why bother? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legal-penalty-if-any-for-spitting-on-the-president/371886.md?page=2)