The line of succession for the President of the United States is determined by the U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. The order of succession is as follows:
- Vice President
- Speaker of the House of Representatives
- President pro tempore of the Senate
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Defense
- Attorney General
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Secretary of Homeland Security
If the President is unable to carry out the duties of the office due to incapacitation, death, resignation, inability to hold office, or removal from office, the responsibilities are passed to the next person in the line of succession. The U.S. Constitution designates the Vice President as first in the line of succession, and Congress is authorized to provide for a line of succession beyond the Vice President.
It is worth noting that the line of succession of cabinet officers is in the order of their agencies’ creation. The current order of succession as of October 2023 is as follows:
- Vice President - Kamala Harris
- Speaker of the House of Representatives - Vacant
- President pro tempore of the Senate - Patrick Leahy
- Secretary of State - Antony Blinken
- Secretary of the Treasury - Janet Yellen
- Secretary of Defense - Lloyd Austin
- Attorney General - Merrick Garland
- Secretary of the Interior - Deb Haaland
- Secretary of Agriculture - Tom Vilsack
- Secretary of Commerce - Gina Raimondo
- Secretary of Labor - Marty Walsh
- Secretary of Health and Human Services - Xavier Becerra
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Marcia Fudge
- Secretary of Transportation - Pete Buttigieg
- Secretary of Energy - Jennifer Granholm
- Secretary of Education - Miguel Cardona
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Denis McDonough
- Secretary of Homeland Security - Alejandro Mayorkas.