Donald Trump and Melania Trump confirmed on Friday morning that they tested positive for COVID-19. Months after "deliberately downplaying" the pandemic, reports said that many have likely seen it coming.
Upon confirming the news before the public, the First Couple announced that they would begin to observe quarantine to recover. Despite claiming that they are "feeling well," television personalities ran down a couple of scenarios that might happen in the next few months.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, host Iain Dale stated that these scenarios include the possibility of Nancy Pelosi taking over the White House, according to the Daily Express. This came after his co-host Kate Garraway noted that the Vice President, Mike Pence, has already come forward to "express sympathy."
She said that the next person to Donald Trump will likely be in charge if things get worse. But, if it happens that the Vice President becomes "incapacitated," the House Speaker will be the one to take over the U.S. President's post inside the Oval Office, adding that Trump would not like it.
Dale quickly responded stating that Garraway is seemingly portraying a scene from the politics-related series, Designated Survivor. He hoped, however, that the United States would not get to that point because it would be "incredibly destabilizing."
Reports recalled that Nancy Pelosi, who is the Democrat Speaker of the House, stands third in the chain of command after Donald Trump and Mike Pence. The presidential line of succession follows the 12t, 20th, and 25th amendments, and Article II, of the U.S. Constitution. Alongside the ground outlined in these amendments, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, also indicates the person who would act as the head of the nation when both the seats of the President and Vice President become "temporarily" vacant at the same time.
While Pelosi stands third at the presidential line of succession, reports noted that there is no precedent, such as this, that has happened in the past when the Speaker of the House succeeded both the President and Vice President of the United States. But, in American history, nine VPs took the lead from their respective heads.
Since Donald Trump and Melania Trump's announcement about their conditions, alongside Hope Hicks', several White House staff already underwent COVID-19 testing, according to CBS News. Some members of the First Family, including Barron Trump, also received testing on the same day. Based on the results, though, none of the Trump kids contracted the virus.
