The somewhat elaborate rules and laws governing succession to the Presidency have long provided fodder for creators of fiction. Several novels, films, and television series have speculated regarding the United States presidential line of succession and in what ways it would be implemented in unusual circumstances. The following are some examples of fictional portrayals of United States presidential succession: The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... The presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as President of the United States upon the incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office (by impeachment and subsequent conviction) of a sitting president or a president-elect. ...

Books

• Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (1959): A global nuclear war eliminates the line of succession down to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Josephine Vanbruuker-Brown.

• American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold by Harry Turtledove (2002): In the 1932 Presidential election, Calvin Coolidge defeats incumbent President Hosea Blackford. One month before Coolidge was to be sworn in, he dies of coronary thrombosis while in Washington to meet with his Cabinet selections. Under the 20th Amendment, Vice-President-elect Herbert Hoover was sworn in to serve Coolidge's term.

• Arc Light, by Eric L. Harry, features the 25th Amendment in the context of a limited nuclear war. ISBN 0-515-11792-7.

• Debt of Honor/Executive Orders by Tom Clancy (1994/1996): After the Vice President resigns following a sex scandal, National Security Advisor Jack Ryan is appointed to fill the position for the remainder of the term. During a joint session of Congress, he is confirmed by unanimous voice vote. Before he is sworn in, however, a vengeful Japanese pilot crashes his fuel-laden 747 into the Capitol. Almost everyone inside is killed, including the President. Ryan, who barely escapes, is sworn in as the new President, but the legitimacy of his administration is challenged by the former Vice President, who claims he never really resigned. The State Governors appointed interim Senators to partially reconstitute Congress until elections were organized.

• Empire by Orson Scott Card, features the assassinations of the President and Vice President. ISBN 0-7653-1611-0.

• Father's Day, by John Calvin Batchelor, features the 25th Amendment as a tool of political intrigue. ISBN 0-8050-3266-5.

• The Fourth K by Mario Puzo features Congress trying to remove the President from office, using the 25th Amendment, claiming that he is mentally unfit to serve, following the assassination of his daughter.

• Full Disclosure by William Safire (1978): The President is blinded by an assassination attempt while at a summit meeting in the Soviet Union, and an ambitious Secretary of the Treasury attempts to use the 25th Amendment to unseat him. In time, several members of his Cabinet come to believe that his blindness renders him unable to discharge the duties of his office, and they vote to replace him with the Vice President under the terms of the 25th Amendment. The President survives this vote but realizes that his political effectiveness is virtually at an end. He prevails upon the weak-willed Vice President to resign, and then promptly resigns himself, elevating the Speaker of the House to the Presidency.

• Give Me Liberty a graphic novel by Frank Miller (1990): An alternative history in which America is led through a time of economic depression and civil uprisings by President Irwin Rexall, who is elected in the year 1996. By the year 2009, just as his fourth term is beginning, the White House is destroyed, President Rexall is incapacitated, and Vice President Cargo, along with all but one member of the Cabinet, is killed. The Secretary of Agriculture, Howard Nissen, assumes the presidency. In 2011, after a disastrous reign, he is stabbed to death by his own Cabinet members. Shortly after, the rebuilt White House is destroyed again, and the line of succession is out of options. Various states are seceding left and right, and a military dictatorship, led by Colonel Stanley Moretti, takes control of what remains of the United States.

• Interface by Neal Stephenson and George Jewsbury. The President-Elect gets shot at his inauguration by a psychotic former factory worker who has somehow figured out the Network's plans almost entirely, killing him almost instantly. Eleanor Richmond, his running mate, ends up as the first black and first female President of the United States.

• Line of Succession by Brian Garfield (1972): During the period between the election and Inauguration Day, the President-elect and the Vice President-elect are both killed by terrorists, along with the Speaker of the House. The President pro tempore of the Senate is totally unsuitable for the Presidency. The incumbent President, defeated for re-election in November, wants to use the situation to stay in office.

• The Man by Irving Wallace (1964): The Vice President had died of a heart attack, and the office is vacant (the 25th Amendment would not take effect until 1967). The President and the Speaker of the House both die accidentally in Europe, and the President pro tempore of the Senate, an African-American, becomes President. The conservative members of both parties soon find pretexts to impeach him.

• The People's Choice: A Cautionary Tale by Jeff Greenfield (1996): A conservative Republican President-Elect dies in an accident only a few days after the general election, and therefore before the Electoral College has met. The Vice President-Elect is not only more liberal, but generally regarded to be a mental midget, and is therefore unpalatable to most of the Electors, whose role and obligation at this point in the process is suddenly unclear. The novel was a satire, but the factual basis for the scenario is quite sound; there does not seem to be any clear mandate for how electors should vote in such circumstances.

• Thirty-Four East by Alfred Coppel (1974): The Vice President is kidnapped by Arab terrorists during a visit to the Middle East; at the same time, the President is killed in the accidental crash of Air Force One. With the Vice President incapacitated, the Speaker of the House, a weak man manipulated by the ambitious Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becomes Acting President while the world is on the verge of World War III.

• Trinity's Child by William Prochnau (1983): A massive nuclear attack on the United States wipes out Washington and half of the Cabinet. The Secretary of the Interior assumes the Presidency and continues to fight World War III. The real President is found to still be living; however, the Secretary of the Interior refuses to relinquish his new office. Thus, the nation, for several hours, has two Presidents giving conflicting orders during a time of great peril.

• Warday by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka (1984): The 25th Amendment is incidentally referenced as part of a larger apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction narrative. Following a nuclear war, much of the United States is destroyed, including Washington. The Deputy Secretary of the Treasury is eventually found, and deemed to be the highest-ranking politician to survive the war. He is installed as President, but insists that he is merely a caretaker and refuses to use the full title of the office.

• Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance and Worldwar: Striking the Balance by Harry Turtledove (1996-1997): During the interplanetary war between The Race and the formerly warring powers of World War II, Seattle is destroyed in 1943 by the Race in retaliation for the U.S. destruction of a Conquest Fleet division in Chicago. The strike on Seattle kills Vice President Henry Wallace, who was visiting the city at the time. The next year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies of unspecified causes. With the Vice Presidency vacant, Secretary of State Cordell Hull assumed the Presidency after Roosevelt's death.

• Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan (Ongoing series, 2003-): In this ongoing series of graphic novels published by Vertigo, all but two male mammals on the planet simultaneously die of a mysterious plague. As a result, the highest ranking woman, Secretary of Agriculture Valentine is appointed to fill the position of President until order is restored and elections can be held. Valentine protests, saying the Secretary of the Interior outranks her, but her security escort informs her that the latter was killed in one of the many plane crashes. When this issue was published in 2003, the real-world Secretary of Interior and Secretary of Agriculture were both women, Gale Norton and Ann Veneman, respectively.

• The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (2004): In this alternative history, Charles Lindbergh is nominated by the Republican Party in 1940 and defeats Roosevelt on an isolationist platform. When he disappears in The Spirit of St. Louis after a campaign stop, Vice-President Burton Wheeler seizes power and initiates an Anti-Semitic witch hunt.

Alas, Babylon is a novel by Pat Frank published in 1959. ... Pat Frank (May 5, 1907 – October 12, 1964) is the pen name of the American novelist Harry Hart Frank. ... The United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare was the head of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. ... Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American historian and prolific novelist who has written historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction works. ... John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ... Hosea Blackford is a character in Harry Turtledoves Timeline-191 series, including How Few Remain, The Great War, and American Empire. ... Page 1 of Amendment XX in the National Archives Page 2 of the amendment Amendment XX (the Twentieth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, also called The Lame Duck Amendment, or the Norris Amendment,[] establishes some details of presidential succession and of the beginning and ending of the terms of... Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964), the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933), was a world-famous mining engineer and humanitarian administrator. ... Eric L. Harry (b. ... Page 1 of Amendment XXV in the National Archives Page 2 of the amendment Amendment XXV (the Twenty-fifth Amendment) of the United States Constitution clarifies an ambiguous provision of the Constitution regarding succession to the Presidency, and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the... Nuclear War is a card game designed by Douglas Malewicki, and originally published in 1966. ... Debt of Honor (1994) is a novel by Tom Clancy. ... Executive Orders is a political and military thriller novel by Tom Clancy. ... Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. ... Seal of the office of the Vice-President of the United States The Vice President of the United States is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President. ... The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. ... Jack Ryan, in England Sir John Patrick (full name Dr. John Patrick Ryan, Lt. ... Joint Sessions of the United States Congress are the gathering together of both House and Senate which occur on special occasions such as the State of the Union Address and Presidential Inauguration. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... The Boeing 747, commonly nicknamed the Jumbo Jet, is a long-haul, widebody commercial airliner manufactured by Boeing. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Empire is a novel, released on November 28, 2006, written by Orson Scott Card, author of Enders Game, which tells the story of a possible second American Civil War, this time between the Right Wing and Left Wing in the near future. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Mario Gianluigi Puzo (October 15, 1920 – July 2, 1999) was an American author known for his novels about the Mafia, especially The Godfather (1969). ... William Safire receiving the 2006 Presidential Medal of Freedom. ... Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or psychological factors. ... It has been suggested that Selective assassination be merged into this article or section. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... Cabinet meeting on May 16, 2001. ... Amendment XXV (the Twenty-fifth Amendment) of the United States Constitution clarifies an ambiguous provision of the Constitution regarding succession to the Presidency, and established procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President as well as responding to Presidential disabilities. ... Writing by Frank Miller Art by Dave Gibbons Story A young african-american girl from the ghetto struggles against impossible odds in near future, to save the United States wich had broken up into several extremist nations. ... Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. ... Interface is a 1994 novel by Neal Stephenson and George Jewsbury. ... Inauguration Day is the day on which the President of the United States is sworn in and takes office. ... The term Speaker is usually the title given to the presiding officer of a countrys lower house of parliament or congress (ie: the House of Commons or House of Representatives). ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... The Man is a 1964 novel by Irving Wallace that explored what might have happened had a black man become President of the United States. ... Irving Wallace (March 19, 1916 - June 29, 1990) was an American bestselling author and screenwriter. ... Seal of the office of the Vice-President of the United States The Vice President of the United States is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President. ... The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia the current President pro tempore of the United States Senate. ... Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body formally levels charges against a high official of government. ... A President-elect is a candidate who has officially been elected President, but who has not yet acceded to his Office, as it is still occupied by the out-going President. ... An electoral college is a set of electors, who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect a candidate to a particular office. ... Presidential Electors in the United States are the individuals who actually vote for Presidential candidates in the Electoral College. ... Alfred Coppel, Alfredo Jose de Arana-Marini Coppel (1929-2004) an American author. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... For other uses, see Air Force One (disambiguation). ... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... Acting President of the United States is a temporary office in the U.S. government, established under the auspices of the Constitution, particularly its 25th Amendment (ratified in 1967). ... World War III (abbreviated WWIII), or the Third World War, is a term used to describe a hypothetical conflict on the scale of World War I and World War II, or even larger, such as a nuclear holocaust. ... Trinitys Child is a novel by William Prochnau. ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: , Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - D.C. Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2... The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior, concerned with such matters as national parks and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... Warday is a novel by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka, first published in 1984. ... Louis Whitley Strieber (born June 13, 1945) is a US writer best known for his horror novels The Wolfen and The Hunger and for Communion, which professes to be a non-fictional description of his subjective experiences with non-human entities (see alien abduction). ... It has been suggested that Post-holocaust be merged into this article or section. ... Nuclear War is a card game designed by Douglas Malewicki, and originally published in 1966. ... The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and, until 2003, some issues of national security and defense. ... The word caretaker may have numerous meanings, but the most common two are (1) a person or persons who cares for a property in exchange for rent-free living accommodations and (2) temporary government which takes control until a stable rule can be restored. ... Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American historian and prolific novelist who has written historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction works. ... The Race refers to the alien invaders of Harry Turtledoves Worldwar and Colonization book series. ... Henry Wallace may refer to: Henry A. Wallace (1888–1965), U.S. Vice President Henry Cantwell Wallace (1866–1924), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, father of Henry A. Wallace Harry Brookings Wallace, former Chancellor of Washington University in St. ... FDR redirects here. ... Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871–July 23, 1955) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Y: The Last Man is a comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan (Swamp Thing) and published by Vertigo. ... Brian K. Vaughan (born 1976, Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer best known for the series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad. ... Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ... The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture concerned with land and food as well as agriculture and rural development. ... The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior, concerned with such matters as national parks and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton Gale Ann Norton (born March 11, 1954) served as the 48th United States Secretary of the Interior, serving under President George W. Bush. ... Ann Margaret Veneman (born June 29, 1949) is currently the Executive Director of UNICEF. She was the first woman to become the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ... The Plot Against America: A Novel (ISBN 0-618-50928-3) is a novel by Philip Roth published in 2004. ... Philip Milton Roth (born March 19, 1933, Newark, New Jersey) is an American novelist. ... For Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Junior, see Lindbergh kidnapping. ... Isolationism is a diplomatic policy whereby a nation seeks to avoid alliances with other nations. ... This article is about an aircraft. ... Time magazine, June 18, 1923 Burton Kendall Wheeler (February 27, 1882–January 6, 1975) was an American politician. ... 1533 account of the execution of a witch charged with burning the town of Schiltach in 1531. ...

Films

• Advise and Consent (1962), an adaptation of Allen Drury's best-selling novel. A gravely-ill President (Franchot Tone) attempts to install a controversial nominee for Secretary of State, despite reservations by leading members of his own party in the U.S. Senate. The President knows he is likely to die in office and presses his good friend, Sen. Munson, to steer Leffingwell's nomination through the Senate: I'm going fast... I haven't any time to run a school for presidents. The President dies in office and his Vice President, Harley Hudson, succeeds him.

• Air Force One (1997), action movie starring Harrison Ford. After Air Force One has been captured by Kazakh terrorists, with U.S. President Jim Marshall (Harrison Ford) on board, the Secretary of Defense claims that he's in charge based on the National Security Act of 1947, with the eventual agreement of the Attorney General. However, knowing that the President is being held by terrorists and forced into using his authority to release a terrorist leader, the entire Cabinet endorses the invocation of Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, signing a letter to that effect, whereby Vice President Bennett (Glenn Close) would assume command. The Vice President, uncertain of the President's situation and unwilling to be seen as making a grab for power, refuses to finalize the President's removal from power.

• By Dawn's Early Light (1990), adaptation of William Prochnau's novel Trinity's Child (see above), starring Powers Boothe, Rebecca De Mornay, and James Earl Jones. The President, played by Martin Landau, is presumed dead after a nuclear missile hits Washington; others are missing, and the next available member of the chain of succession is Secretary of the Interior played by Darren McGavin.

• The plot of the film The Contender was centered around the confirmation of a female senator to the office of Vice President.

• Dave (1993), starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver: When a stroke causes President Mitchell to fall into a coma, the White House Chief of Staff (Frank Langella) sees a way to seize power by replacing the President with a look-alike named Dave, whom he expects to manipulate as a patsy. Once the look-alike realizes what is happening, he thwarts the Chief of Staff's political intentions and then arranges to switch back with the real President (who is still in a coma), by feigning a stroke himself. The actual President then dies, and the Vice President is sworn into office.

• The Enemy Within (1994), a made-for-TV version of the novel Seven Days in May by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey, starring Forest Whitaker and Jason Robards. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Vice President, and a wealthy media baron attempt to use the 25th Amendment as justification for a coup to unseat a President. The dovish, somewhat weak President's authority is challenged by the hawkish, politically-popular Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. To obtain power, the Chairman plans to have the President (played by Sam Waterston) declared incompetent by the Cabinet and replaced by the Vice President, who would then be a "puppet" to the Chairman. (This implementation of the planned coup d'etat differs sharply from that of the original novel.)

• The Man (1972), a made-for-TV adaptation of the Irving Wallace book (see above). Screenplay by Rod Serling, starring James Earl Jones, Martin Balsam and Burgess Meredith. In the movie, the Vice President is still alive but elderly and infirm; he declines to assume the Presidency upon the death of the President. The Presidency thus passes to the black President pro tem of the Senate.

• Mars Attacks! (1996), Jack Nicholson as President James Dale is killed in the invasion, along with the First Lady, the entire US Congress, the Vice-President, the Supreme Court Justices, and the Cabinet members. In the end of the film, Natalie Portman playing Taffy Dale, the First Daughter is exercising the responsibilities of the Presidency by awarding medals to the heroes in the film.

• My Fellow Americans (1996), starring Jack Lemmon and James Garner. The President is forced to resign, in a plan orchestrated by the scheming Vice President. Eventually his scheme is revealed and he is impeached, making the House Speaker President.

• XXX 2: State of the Union (2005), an action/adventure film, directed by Lee Tamahori. When the President adopts an internationalist policy of diplomacy towards enemies of the United States, the hawkish Secretary of Defense attempts a coup that will wipe out key members of the government during the President's State of the Union address, leaving him in charge.

Advise and Consent is a political novel written by Allen Drury and published in 1959. ... Franchot Tone Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor. ... In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Air Force One (disambiguation). ... Kazakh may refer to An ethnic group: the Kazakhs The Kazakh language The Culture of Kazakhstan Suhbat. ... Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. ... President Truman signs the National Security Act Amendment of 1949 with guests in the Oval Office. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... Page 1 of Amendment XXV in the National Archives Page 2 of the amendment Amendment XXV (the Twenty-fifth Amendment) of the United States Constitution clarifies an ambiguous provision of the Constitution regarding succession to the Presidency, and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the... Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is a five-time Academy Award-nominated American film and stage actress. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... By Dawn’s Early Light is an HBO Original Movie, aired in 1990 and set in the year 1991. ... Powers Allen Boothe (born June 1, 1948) is an American television and film actor. ... Rebecca De Mornay (born Rebecca J. Pearch on August 29, 1959)[1] is an American film and television actress. ... James Earl Jones (b. ... Martin Landau (born June 20, 1931) is an Academy Award-winning American film and television actor. ... William Lyle Richardson (May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006), who adopted the name Darren McGavin, was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and also his portrayal in the movie A Christmas Story of the grumpy father given... For other uses of this term, see Contender. ... Dave is a 1993 comedy-drama movie written by Gary Ross, directed by Ivan Reitman, and starring Kevin Kline (in a dual role), Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley, and Laura Linney. ... Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an Academy Award- and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor. ... Sigourney Weaver (born Susan Alexandra Weaver on October 8, 1949 in New York City) is an Oscar-nominated American actress. ... Stroke (or cerebrovascular accident or CVA) is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. ... In medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep) is a profound state of unconsciousness. ... Joshua B. Bolten, the current White House Chief of Staff. ... Frank A. Langella, Jr. ... A look-alike is a person who bears a close physical resemblance to a celebrity, politician or royalty. ... Seven Days in May is a political thriller novel published by Harper & Row, New York in 1962(current hardcover edition: ISBN 0-06-012436-9) written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey. ... Fletcher Knebel (1911-1993) was an American author of several popular works of political fiction. ... Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer, and director. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... Samuel Atkinson Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an Oscar nominated American actor noted particularly for his portrayal of Jack McCoy on the long-running NBC television series Law & Order. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... The Man is a 1972 political drama starring James Earl Jones. ... Rodman Edward Rod Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, most famous for his science fiction anthology television series, The Twilight Zone. ... James Earl Jones (b. ... Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. ... Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1908[1] – September 9, 1997), known as Burgess Meredith, was a versatile American actor. ... Mars Attacks! is a comedy and science fiction film by Tim Burton based on the popular card series Mars Attacks. ... Nicholson as Wilbur Force in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). ... Natalie Portman (Hebrew: נטלי פורטמן), born Natalie Hershlag (Hebrew: נטלי הרשלג) on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel[1] is a Golden Globe-winning, Academy Award-nominated Israeli-American actress. ... My Fellow Americans was a 1996 movie starring Jack Lemmon and James Garner as feuding ex-presidents. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... 2003 State of the Union address given by U.S. President George W. Bush The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the...

Television

• 24:
  • In season 2, a narrow majority of President David Palmer's Cabinet invokes Section 4 of the 25th Amendment and removes the President from office, installing Vice President Jim Prescott as Acting President. The President's removal, contrary to the intent of the amendment, is due to the Cabinet's belief that Palmer is making irrational decisions regarding the country's response to a terrorist attack. In reality, Palmer could have disputed the invocation of the 25th Amendment by transmitting a dissenting letter to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Palmer would then have been legally empowered to continue discharging the duties of President until Congress was given an opportunity to vote on the issue. Even still, the President's decisions are shown to be rational within a few hours of his removal, and the Vice President and supporting Cabinet members rescind their earlier vote. Upon the first vote that removes him from power, Palmer is advised he can appeal the judgment to Congress in four days. The 25th amendment mentions a four-day period as the time limit for the Cabinet to affirm its belief the President is unfit for duty. This error may have been the result of a screenwriter's misinterpretation of the text of the amendment.
  • In season 4, President John Keeler is severely injured when Air Force One is shot down by a stealth fighter. The Cabinet unanimously invokes the 25th Amendment and Vice President Charles Logan is sworn in shortly thereafter. Logan serves as President throughout season 5, but in the season finale (first aired May 22, 2006), he is taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service after evidence emerges that he was party to the assassination of former President David Palmer. It is implied that Logan will either resign his office or face impeachment proceedings. Interestingly, by season 5 Logan has appointed a new Vice President, which implies he has fully assumed the Presidency, rather than acting as President. Keeler is never confirmed to have died on screen, although this could be inferred as the possibility of his return to power would supersede the need to confirm a new VP, and Logan, while acting as President, would technically still be the VP.
  • In season 6, President Wayne Palmer is severely injured when a bomb in the White House Bunker goes off. Per Section 3 of the 25th Amendment, Vice President Noah Daniels becomes Acting President; the Secretary of Defense deemed the injuries that Palmer sustained too severe to hope for the president's full recovery. Later, when Daniels orders a low-scale nuclear strike on an Arab nation suspected of having terrorist ties, National Security Advisor Karen Hayes arranges for doctors to revive Palmer, who cancels the strike. In a move similar to the second season, Daniels suggests Palmer is still not fit for command, citing his cancellation of the strike as evidence. The cabinet is convened for a hearing and votes 7-7 on the subject of Palmer's fitness. The Attorney General rightly points out that the vice President can only invoke the 25th amendment when a majority of the cabinet agrees, and a tie vote does not constitute a majority. Daniels then claims that Hayes' vote shouldn't count as she technically resigned earlier in the day, although she claims she returned and rescinded her resignation before it was officially accepted. The Supreme Court is asked to decide the issue of Hayes' status, but Daniels withdraws his objection after Chief of Staff Tom Lennox produces evidence of Daniels and his aide conspiring to manufacture evidence against Hayes. Palmer retains executive authority, then orders the attack anyway. It should be noted that there are 15 cabinet positions, not 14, and National Security Advisor is not among them. Therefore, Hayes wouldn't have had a vote anyway. Also, there appear to be several military advisors in the room, likely the joint chiefs of staff, who would not have a vote either. However, Palmer later succumbs to his injuries during a live press conference, and Daniels is installed as acting President, again.

• Commander in Chief (2005):
  • The President, Teddy Bridges, suffers from a severe brain hemorrhage and lapses into a coma. His female Vice President, Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis), an independent, is strongly pressured by the President's senior staff and political allies to resign from office. However, she instead chooses to await the outcome of the President's condition. When the President comes out of his coma and himself urges her to resign, she respectfully declines, explaining that the voters entrusted her with the Vice Presidency, and she intends to carry out its duties fully. The President dies shortly thereafter and she assumes the office of President of the United States, becoming the first woman ever to do so.
  • Later in the season, President Allen's chosen Vice President resigns and then she requires emergency surgery. The Speaker of the House, next in line, is her political enemy, Republican House Speaker Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland); he chooses to resign his House position and accept the temporary acting presidency under the 25th Amendment, and uses his one day in office to take an action that Allen would never have countenanced. When she resumes office, she is angered at what she considers his irresponsibility, and more determined than ever to defeat him in the coming election. (The series was canceled before the election would have occurred.) The series erred, however, by making the explicit statement that Templeton, while resigning from the House and losing his voting privileges, would retain the title of Speaker. While the constitution does not strictly require a voting member of the House to serve as Speaker, the succession act does mandate resignation from both the House and as Speaker.

• In the CBS series Jericho, nuclear bombs have destroyed many major cities in the United States including Washington DC. In the episode "Black Jack," it is revealed that six people have laid claim to the Presidency, each with a base in a "new capital city" unaffected by the attacks. These cities, as seen on a map and in newspaper articles, are Rome, New York; Montgomery, Alabama; Columbus, Ohio; San Antonio, Texas; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Sacramento, California. It is mentioned that fictional Secretary of Health and Human Services Charles would be next in line, suggesting that all those above him or her on the list are dead or incapacitated. However, "five other guys believe that the attacks have changed the rules," including fictional Senators Morrisette (OR), Tomarchio (WY), and Snowden (AL).

• Seven Days: In the pilot, the President and Vice President are both killed in a terrorist attack on the White House. On his way to be sworn in as President, the Speaker of the House is also killed. Using time-travel technology, the hero is able to go back in time one week and prevent the attack.

• The West Wing
  • In the first episode of the second season, President Bartlet is incapacitated after being shot during an assassination attempt. While the VP believes he should act as President, Chief of Staff Leo McGarry states that without a letter from Bartlet stating the incapacity, no one has the right to claim authority. The cabinet does not invoke the 25th amendment and the President recovers soon enough to prevent a constitutional crisis.
  • During episodes 4.23–5.02 (2003): In the 4th season episode ofThe West Wing, titled "Commencement", the President's daughter is kidnapped by terrorists. Feeling he is incapable of acting impartially or in the national interest and wishing to diminish the kidnappers' leverage, President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) invoked the 25th Amendment to remove himself from office. Due to a scandal leading to the Vice President's resignation prior to this episode, powers were transferred to the Speaker of the House, Glen Allen Walken (John Goodman), who as a conservative Republican is the ideological polar opposite of the President. Early in the following season Bartlet resumed the powers of the presidency by notifying the Congressional leaders as provided in the Amendment. The resigned Vice President was later replaced under the 25th by Bob Russell.
  • In the last season of The West Wing, Democratic vice presidential nominee Leo McGarry dies on Election Day, and it is revealed in the final episode that President Santos intends to nominate Pennsylvania Gov. Eric Baker for the Vice Presidency under the 25th Amendment rather than submit him to the Electoral College in place of McGarry.

• In Prison Break, season two, episode one, the Vice President (a key protagonist in a conspiracy plot) is sworn in following the death of the President.

24 is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television series created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, and produced by Imagine Television. ... The Cast of Season Two. ... David Palmer was a fictional President of the United States of America played by Dennis Haysbert as part of the television series, 24. ... Amendment XXV (the Twenty-fifth Amendment) of the United States Constitution clarifies an ambiguous provision of the Constitution regarding succession to the Presidency, and established procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President as well as responding to Presidential disabilities. ... James Prescott, aka Jim Prescott, is a fictional character played by Alan Dale in the television series 24. ... A President Pro Tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of the United States Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the President of the Senate. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... The term Speaker is usually the title given to the presiding officer of a countrys lower house of parliament or congress (ie: the House of Commons or House of Representatives). ... Season Four, also known as Day 4 of the television series 24 premiered on January 9, 2005 and aired its season finale on May 23, 2005. ... John Keeler is a fictional character played by Geoff Pierson on the television series 24. ... For other uses, see Air Force One (disambiguation). ... B-2 Spirit stealth bomber A stealth aircraft is an aircraft which has been designed to absorb and deflect radar (via stealth technology); these are not completely invisible to radar, they are simply harder to detect than conventional technology. ... Charles Logan is a fictional character played by Gregory Itzin in the television series 24. ... Season Five, also known as Day 5 of the television series 24 premiered on January 15, 2006 and aired its season finale on May 22, 2006. ... Seal United States Marshals star badge The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. Â§ 561) and is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the United States. ... Season Six, also known as Day 6, of the television series 24 premiered on Sunday, January 14, 2007. ... This article or section on a Television-related subject may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An Acting president is a person who temporarily fills the role of an organizations president, either when the real president is unavailable (for example ill or on vacation) or when the post is vacant (for example because of death, injury, resignation, or dismissal). ... It has been suggested that List of characters in Commander in Chief be merged into this article or section. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Stroke (or cerebrovascular accident or CVA) is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. ... In the television show Commander in Chief, a political drama aired by ABC, the fictional character Mackenzie Spencer Allen, played by Geena Davis, is the first female President of the United States. ... Virginia Elizabeth Geena Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated American actress and former fashion model. ... Diverse women. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A mushroom cloud looms on Jerichos horizon. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... Black Jack is the thirteenth episode of season one of the fictional CBS drama Jericho. ... Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. ... Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Montgomery Incorporated December 3, 1819 Mayor Bobby Bright Area    - City 404. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Ohio Counties Franklin, Delaware, and Fairfield Government  - Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D) Area  - City  212. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Counties Bexar County Government  - Mayor Phil Hardberger Area  - City  412. ... Location in Wyoming Coordinates: County Laramie County Founded 1867 Government  - Mayor Jack R. Spiker Area  - City 57. ... Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... For other meanings of Seven Days, see Seven Days (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... “The West Wing” redirects here. ... In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I is the 23rd episode of The West Wing. ... The following is an episode list for the NBC serial drama television series The West Wing. ... See also Academic dress Categories: Education | Academia ... For the signatory of the Declaration of Independence, see Josiah Bartlett. ... Martin Sheen (born August 3, 1940) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor. ... Glen Allen Walken (sometimes spelled Glenallen or Glen Alan Walken) is a fictional character on The West Wing played by John Goodman. ... John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is a Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated American actor. ... John Hoynes is a fictional character played by Tim Matheson on the television serial drama The West Wing. ... This article is about the fictional character. ... Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. ... Matthew Vincente Matt Santos is a fictional character on the American television show The West Wing, played by Jimmy Smits. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Ed ONeill as Governor Eric Baker (D-PA). ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Prison Break is an American serial drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on August 29, 2005. ...

See also

• Head of state succession