The Agentic, to be sure, I feel the same as you; however, that is not the point and worse, would have put this nation at high risk. A solution needs to be found for this dilemma. I would simply propose that the VP, by law, cannot be in the same room, meeting, function, or whatever event is happening while the President is at such events. That everyone was at this non-essential event was, on its face absurdly stupid. The possibility that all could have been wiped out only proves the imbecility of this administration. And I'm not afraid to also say, that should democrats have hosted such an event and brought everyone for laughs and giggles, they too would be justifiably stupid for doing so.
I've been wondering about this since the night of the dinner. Having everybody in the same room was yet another sign of the incompetence of this administration. But Grassley???? Yes, reforms are needed. Thank you for this piece.
I dunno. There's so much wrong with how we elect the President and Veep (mostly with the Electoral College), and how we deal with money for elections in general (and you know who you are, Citizens United) that it's hard for me to work up a sense of urgency over this issue. I understand that a law is easier to pass than an Amendment, but there are more pressing problems than this.
My thoughts exactly. So many steps in the democratic process are broken currently. A one in a billion chance of having to form a new government is not something I'm going to worry about.
So many things left undone and unattended. This is most certainly one.
But if genies permit only one wish to become true, mine is forces constitutional amendment banning gerrymandering everywhere for any reason, and setting up independent, highly regulated commissions appointed by the judiciary, the way it’s done in Canada, or in Britain, or Australia, or in virtually any modern republic save our own. Sick and tired of listening to shitweasels tell us why they get to choose their voters, rather than the other way around.
You have hit the nail SPOT on the head, "it's come to this".
Top priority to me has been for decades to get big money out of politics. That being said, however, directly behind this, to me is our acceptance of gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering should be made a capital offense for gerrymandering DIRECTLY attacks democracy.
This is fine as long as the judiciary isn't controlled by the party in power. With the situation we have now, there is no such thing as "highly regulated anything". Everyone has their own agenda and no one can be trusted to be "honorable".
The BIG question for our times: Why do 39-40% of our fellow Americans believe that is it's OK for our leaders to abuse and lie to us? In fact the abuse and lying might be good for us??? We can be sure the our Abuser and Liar in Chief, still knows in his bones that he could shoot a person on 5th Ave and not lose a supporter. Grim..
It’s not just this administration, corporate money lining politicians’ pockets, and irresponsible media that are sick in this country. Those 40% of country’s voters are also very sick. How do we fix that?
It may be that we need a better Succession system. What we need even more is a much better set of qualifications which any candidate for the presidency must meet. No candidates with egregious pathological personality disorders. No convicted felons. No one with a history of corrupt practices in his business or personal life. If we're going to correct our Constitution's shortcomings, let's start with the most important remedies first.
The current president wouldn’t even pass the lowest security clearance. There is a real problem with that. At one time, no one considered that the voters would be stupid enough to elect someone so corrupt. But here we are.
We have done this to ourselves. Even most of those "stupid enough to elect someone so corrupt" have removed their Trump paraphernalia almost entirely in my neighborhood
PROVING THE AGE OLD ADAGE THAT A BROKEN CLOCK IS STILL RIGHT TWICE A DAY!!!!
Yes, the importance of this can't be understated. How did Russia get such power over our president? No doubt because of dirt he has. No president should be vulnerable to extortion as "he" is.
I would setup a committee of centrist Republicans and Democrats in congress to come up with a more viable succession plan, then put it to a vote in both chambers. The extremes of both parties would likely disagree as they always do, but the majority would likely support it. My opinion.
Are there any centrist Republicans left? I thought they all quit or were forced out for not supporting Trump. Based on their voting records of supporting Trump, only the worst of the worst spineless Republicans are left.
This is one of those issues that has received no attention from Trump, so I expect some of the "voting with the crowd" Republicans would come out of the closet.
Thank you for providing the historical prospective and context of this situation. It seems particularly relevant today as we have a president who is as out of kilter as a dog with rabies. His verbal diatribes and tantrums on Truth Social indicate that he is unwell and that his conquests against Iran and to plaster his name and face upon everything in sight are further evidence.
"Succession", however, is only the tip of the iceberg. The simple fact that America has put into the oval office an individual as patently incompetent as he has proved to me positively that A LOT MORE is broken in American politics than "succession".
Over the past two-and-a-half centuries we've never needed to dig deeper than the Vice President for a Presidential successor. Only the Trump kakistocracy, led by a President who's dumber than a box of rocks, would have so much of the succession line be in the same room at the same time attending an event of so little national significance. I don't mean to belittle the White House Correspondents Association or their annual White House Correspondents Dinner, but it's not a "state" event. It is a small (900-member) association that has no real ties to the government. There is no need for that many government officials to even be invited. In nearly six years as President, 2026 was the first time Trump had deigned to attend. Why was he there in the first place, let alone having his V.P. and cabinet tag along?
The fact that some jamoke got as close as he did in an effort to assassinate ... who? ... (As far as I can tell, we've got no information from a reliable source as to who Cole Tomas Allen actually expected to assassinate.) is not any reason to start questioning the established line of Presidential succession. Only representatives of a MAGA-influenced think tank, like the American Enterprise Institute would suggest it.
Instead, we should be questioning the decision-making prowess at the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security of which it is a part. The whole kerfuffle at the dinner (documented by videos in the public record) looked like a Keystone Kops chase scene!
An excellent article. Thank you.
I hate to be that guy, but I'm not losing sleep over the tiny possibility that we lost the whole administration.
The Agentic, to be sure, I feel the same as you; however, that is not the point and worse, would have put this nation at high risk. A solution needs to be found for this dilemma. I would simply propose that the VP, by law, cannot be in the same room, meeting, function, or whatever event is happening while the President is at such events. That everyone was at this non-essential event was, on its face absurdly stupid. The possibility that all could have been wiped out only proves the imbecility of this administration. And I'm not afraid to also say, that should democrats have hosted such an event and brought everyone for laughs and giggles, they too would be justifiably stupid for doing so.
No disagreement here!
I've been wondering about this since the night of the dinner. Having everybody in the same room was yet another sign of the incompetence of this administration. But Grassley???? Yes, reforms are needed. Thank you for this piece.
Would Grassley be worse than what we have now?
I dunno. There's so much wrong with how we elect the President and Veep (mostly with the Electoral College), and how we deal with money for elections in general (and you know who you are, Citizens United) that it's hard for me to work up a sense of urgency over this issue. I understand that a law is easier to pass than an Amendment, but there are more pressing problems than this.
My thoughts exactly. So many steps in the democratic process are broken currently. A one in a billion chance of having to form a new government is not something I'm going to worry about.
So many things left undone and unattended. This is most certainly one.
But if genies permit only one wish to become true, mine is forces constitutional amendment banning gerrymandering everywhere for any reason, and setting up independent, highly regulated commissions appointed by the judiciary, the way it’s done in Canada, or in Britain, or Australia, or in virtually any modern republic save our own. Sick and tired of listening to shitweasels tell us why they get to choose their voters, rather than the other way around.
You have hit the nail SPOT on the head, "it's come to this".
Top priority to me has been for decades to get big money out of politics. That being said, however, directly behind this, to me is our acceptance of gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering should be made a capital offense for gerrymandering DIRECTLY attacks democracy.
Don't believe me?
Check out the situation America is in today.
I rest my case.
Mine is reining in the pardon power. But you’re right - there’s so much we need to change. I just hope we get a chance to do it 🤞🏻!
This is fine as long as the judiciary isn't controlled by the party in power. With the situation we have now, there is no such thing as "highly regulated anything". Everyone has their own agenda and no one can be trusted to be "honorable".
The BIG question for our times: Why do 39-40% of our fellow Americans believe that is it's OK for our leaders to abuse and lie to us? In fact the abuse and lying might be good for us??? We can be sure the our Abuser and Liar in Chief, still knows in his bones that he could shoot a person on 5th Ave and not lose a supporter. Grim..
It’s not just this administration, corporate money lining politicians’ pockets, and irresponsible media that are sick in this country. Those 40% of country’s voters are also very sick. How do we fix that?
It may be that we need a better Succession system. What we need even more is a much better set of qualifications which any candidate for the presidency must meet. No candidates with egregious pathological personality disorders. No convicted felons. No one with a history of corrupt practices in his business or personal life. If we're going to correct our Constitution's shortcomings, let's start with the most important remedies first.
The current president wouldn’t even pass the lowest security clearance. There is a real problem with that. At one time, no one considered that the voters would be stupid enough to elect someone so corrupt. But here we are.
We have done this to ourselves. Even most of those "stupid enough to elect someone so corrupt" have removed their Trump paraphernalia almost entirely in my neighborhood
PROVING THE AGE OLD ADAGE THAT A BROKEN CLOCK IS STILL RIGHT TWICE A DAY!!!!
Yes, the importance of this can't be understated. How did Russia get such power over our president? No doubt because of dirt he has. No president should be vulnerable to extortion as "he" is.
SPOT ON, Donna!
I could add 25 more restrictions right now right off the top of my head!!!!!!
And another 25 on getting big money OUT of American politics.
We have a broken system, Donna. Big money in politics and gerrymandering are just the two biggies!!
Robert, I'd guess that every substack subscriber could come up with his/her own list of 25 different restriction! There is no end to his wrongdoing.
I would setup a committee of centrist Republicans and Democrats in congress to come up with a more viable succession plan, then put it to a vote in both chambers. The extremes of both parties would likely disagree as they always do, but the majority would likely support it. My opinion.
Are there any centrist Republicans left? I thought they all quit or were forced out for not supporting Trump. Based on their voting records of supporting Trump, only the worst of the worst spineless Republicans are left.
This is one of those issues that has received no attention from Trump, so I expect some of the "voting with the crowd" Republicans would come out of the closet.
Perhaps the Governor of the most populous state should be in the line of succession. Political parties are not in the Constitution.
Thanks for shining a light on this issue! It was new to me and most likely others as well!
Gerrymandering in Tennessee?
Let me tell you what they have accomplished as far as I am concerned.
You will NEVER see me again in Tenn.
You will NEVER even see me drive through the state.
Tenn. use of gerrymandering is (IMHO) the work of American traitors.
Which is, in my opinion, a capital offense.
Thank you for providing the historical prospective and context of this situation. It seems particularly relevant today as we have a president who is as out of kilter as a dog with rabies. His verbal diatribes and tantrums on Truth Social indicate that he is unwell and that his conquests against Iran and to plaster his name and face upon everything in sight are further evidence.
President Grassley? Allegedly Grassley is hanging on to his seat like grim death til one of his grandsons is old enough to run for the family seat.
Thank you for that timely and relevant article.
"Succession", however, is only the tip of the iceberg. The simple fact that America has put into the oval office an individual as patently incompetent as he has proved to me positively that A LOT MORE is broken in American politics than "succession".
I'm presently more worried about the non-succession than the succession, but I understand the concern.
Over the past two-and-a-half centuries we've never needed to dig deeper than the Vice President for a Presidential successor. Only the Trump kakistocracy, led by a President who's dumber than a box of rocks, would have so much of the succession line be in the same room at the same time attending an event of so little national significance. I don't mean to belittle the White House Correspondents Association or their annual White House Correspondents Dinner, but it's not a "state" event. It is a small (900-member) association that has no real ties to the government. There is no need for that many government officials to even be invited. In nearly six years as President, 2026 was the first time Trump had deigned to attend. Why was he there in the first place, let alone having his V.P. and cabinet tag along?
The fact that some jamoke got as close as he did in an effort to assassinate ... who? ... (As far as I can tell, we've got no information from a reliable source as to who Cole Tomas Allen actually expected to assassinate.) is not any reason to start questioning the established line of Presidential succession. Only representatives of a MAGA-influenced think tank, like the American Enterprise Institute would suggest it.
Instead, we should be questioning the decision-making prowess at the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security of which it is a part. The whole kerfuffle at the dinner (documented by videos in the public record) looked like a Keystone Kops chase scene!