Imagine the following scenario: On the 9th of January 2024 in the morning we wake up to news that President of the USA Joe Biden suffered a stroke and died in White House. The administration confirms that the death was entirely natural and no third party contributed to it. Even before the news reach all TV stations another one breaks: Former president of the USA Donald Trump has suffered a cardiac arrest and died in his residence in Mar a Lago. Early reports claim that the site was secure and no malicious actor could reasonably reach Mr. Trump so the death is most likely natural.

What happens then?

  • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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    6 months ago

    uhh the vice president takes over, and the parties pick new candidates.

    pretty basic actually.

    and realistically, they havent even officially picked candidates yet. so other than trump tornado dying not much would change.

    • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Not only that, but there’s an entire line of presidential succession. It’s part of a broader concept of ‘continuity of government’. Basically, it ensures that there’s always someone formally in charge. You could vaporize half the country including every senior official and there’d still be a legit, sworn in president in a few hours.

      There’s basically contingencies upon contingencies. One interesting book on the topic is ‘Raven Rock’ by Garrett M. graff.

      • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        The plotline of the show Designated Survivor. Follows Kiefer Southerland as a Sec of HUD that has to take over following a terrorist attack. He basically carries the show, it’s pretty good.

        • Orbituary@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Also of Battlestar Galactica, the documentary about our past, where the secretary of education is made president, but has cancer and survives for all of the seasons.

              • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
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                6 months ago

                That’s not what he’s correcting!

                The ‘new’ Battlestar Galactica is literally set in our past; 150.000 years ago. The characters eventually settle on a new planet that they also call Earth. From the show’s perspective, we are their descendants.

              • doctordevice@lemm.ee
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                6 months ago

                Yeah, overreaction there. Like the other commenter said I wasn’t correcting grammar or spelling, BSG 2004 is set in the past not the future.

    • distantsounds@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Not much would change.

      Don’t discount the tears of joy from billions of people across every political spectrum

  • nfh@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Kamala Harris becomes President, VP office is empty until she nominates a replacement and they’re confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress, which likely does not happen.

    DNC needs to figure out how to select a new candidate, likely using a process they’ve created already but never tested.

    RNC already had primaries scheduled, and they’ll remove Trump from ballots where possible, as he’d be ineligible on account of having died, and they continue their primary process. It’s probably between Haley and Desantis in the end, seeing who can pick up more Trump voters. Ramaswami probably becomes a bit more relevant, but still loses.

    The media loses their minds, and the people of the Internet make so many references to Death Note.

  • xantoxis@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    If Biden died, his VP, Kamala Harris would become the president–the first woman president, as it happens. Everything would pretty much go on as it was.

    Trump’s death is entirely irrelevant to this scenario, and not useful to consider.

    • morphballganon@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Trump’s death is entirely irrelevant to this scenario, and not useful to consider.

      You’re only addressing what happens with the current administration. OP’s question as stated opens the door to discussion about the 2024 election, the MAGA movement, the state of fascism in the nation etc.

    • GhostTheToast@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Never really thought it like this before, but would the entire chain move up? Like Speaker comes VP or would Harris get to select a new VP?

  • radix@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Kamala Harris becomes President, and the GOP implodes under the weight of a million conspiracy theories.

    • meco03211@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Don’t forget the infighting. I imagine it would be glorious. Like watching the inbred redneck family having an all out brawl at Walmart.

      • sab@kbin.social
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        6 months ago

        And then comes the conspiracy theories. Which will happen if either of them die any time soon anyway. Because what are the odds of old men randomly dying, right? There must be a conspiracy!

        Trump having a heart attack before the election would provide enough conspiracy theories for a lifetime, and it honestly seems about as likely as him not having a heart attack.

        • meco03211@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          I’d love to hit a few qultists I know with the “dIeD sUdDeNlY!!” bullshit they spew if trump died before the election.

  • db2@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    A party, untill they democratically elect the next only given sociopathic geriatric option.

      • Feathercrown@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        THIS SUMMER

        loud music begins

        TWO ASSASSINATIONS

        split screen shot of Trump and Biden

        ONE MAN

        the crazy pickle guy from Independence Day

        WILL HAVE THE GREATEST ROAD TRIP OF ALL TIME

        several comedic moments with quick cuts

        IN…

        movie title appears as the music hits its peak

        date flashes on the screen

        small stinger scene appears to end the trailer

    • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Not Burnie Sanders vs DeSantis.

      DeSantis wins because old people are Republican and the youth don’t vote.

      • isles@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        the youth don’t vote

        Oh?

        We estimate that 50% of young people, ages 18-29, voted in the 2020 presidential election, a remarkable 11-point increase from 2016 (39%) and likely one of the highest rates of youth electoral participation since the voting age was lowered to 18.

        45-64 year old voting is in decline, declining from 75% to 71% over time.

  • neptune@dmv.social
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    6 months ago

    Probably the parties and their donors would scramble to replace them.

    Harris has a leg up as she would be promoted to President and would be the incumbent. But she might not be prepared for a primary. Probably Gavin Newsom, her and a couple people would fight over some key endorsements and donors.

    Well Chris Christie and Mike Pence would probably kick themselves as they just dropped out of the race. In a lot of ways, the republican race wouldn’t change much. At least Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis would still be fighting over the voters not waiting for Trump to resurrect three days later.

    The really dicy shit happens if the winning candidate dies before inauguration.

    • meco03211@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      not waiting for Trump to resurrect three days later.

      I hadn’t thought of this. Now there’s no question in my mind there would be those adamant this would happen. Then on the fourth day, blame the democrats somehow.

      • Mamertine@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Nah, they’d just say they counted wrong, “re do” their math, and pick a new day they expect him to return. It’s a pretty common tactic in cults.

  • Horsey@kbin.social
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    6 months ago

    Kamala Harris becomes president and both primaries will elect someone.

  • DontTakeMySky@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Them both being dead is both convenient and conveniently suspicious. Since Trump is guarded by secret service, conspiracies would arise saying they (under Bidens order, or a Harris power grab) killed him. It would be completely absurd given the circumstances and no reputable source would support it, but people would believe it anyway and Fox would push the story. Widely broadcast funerals for each of them.

    Then nothing… The conspiracies would flow, but nothing much would change.

  • mateomaui@reddthat.com
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    6 months ago

    Probably tweet some condolences to Hunter, then wait for Trump to buried, to finally go pee on him.

  • Pika@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    Honestly, I think if Trump died instantaneous there would be a massive movement claiming that the current Administration was the cause of death and they would use the most recent judicial hearing regarding Seal Team 6 as evidence towards it. There would be no proof of anything because like you said it was a natural death but that would not be enough to prove anything and I believe there would still be riots

    As for if the president dropped dead, the vice president would take over and there would likely be an investigation into an assassination attempt but I don’t think anything would come out of it because like mentioned it would be a natural death.