Yes. The Secretary of Defense can become President, but this is under absolutely extreme conditions. In the US government, there is a line of succession for the presidency, if the President is assassinated, etc. It goes in this order:
The speaker of the house becomes president, then the president pro tempore of the Senate, then the secretary of state, then the secretary of the treasury, then the secretary of defense, then the attorney general, then the secretary of th einterior, then the secretary of agriculture, then the secretary of commerce, then the secretary of labor, then the secretary of health and human services, then the secretary of housing and urban development, then the secretary of transportation, then the secretary of energy, then the secretary of education, then the secretary of veterans affairs. If he dies, I have no idea, but I doubt that it will ever get that far.speaker of the houseThe Speaker of the House takes control, then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.The Speaker of the House is next.Next in line after the VP is the Speaker of the House. The full line of succession is listed in the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
The Secretary of State is fourth in line following the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
No. It is quite unlikely that this would ever happen. When the Vice President becomes President, a new Vice President is selected and becomes next in line. Only if the new President were to die before a new Vice President was selected would the Speaker of the House become President. Then a new Vice President and a new Speaker would be selected and they would both be ahead of the President Pro Tempore in the order of ascendence. The Secretary of State would become President only if the President, Vice President, Speaker, and President Pro Tempore all died at essentially the same time.
No, Douglas never became president.
James Knox Polk is the only US President to have held that office.
Dick Cheney. He was the secretary of Defense under George H. W. Bush and vice president under George W. Bush.
The speaker of the house becomes president, then the president pro tempore of the Senate, then the secretary of state, then the secretary of the treasury, then the secretary of defense, then the attorney general, then the secretary of th einterior, then the secretary of agriculture, then the secretary of commerce, then the secretary of labor, then the secretary of health and human services, then the secretary of housing and urban development, then the secretary of transportation, then the secretary of energy, then the secretary of education, then the secretary of veterans affairs. If he dies, I have no idea, but I doubt that it will ever get that far.speaker of the houseThe Speaker of the House takes control, then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.The Speaker of the House is next.Next in line after the VP is the Speaker of the House. The full line of succession is listed in the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
The Secretary of State is fourth in line following the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
President Gerald R. Ford was NEVER US Secretary of State.
No. It is quite unlikely that this would ever happen. When the Vice President becomes President, a new Vice President is selected and becomes next in line. Only if the new President were to die before a new Vice President was selected would the Speaker of the House become President. Then a new Vice President and a new Speaker would be selected and they would both be ahead of the President Pro Tempore in the order of ascendence. The Secretary of State would become President only if the President, Vice President, Speaker, and President Pro Tempore all died at essentially the same time.
No.
youngest ever president was 42 but minimum is 35.
Yes. Prior to the Civil War began.
yes
Yes
No
Here's the line: 1. President (George Bush) 2. Vice President (Dick Cheney) 3. Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi) 4. President Pro Tempore of the Senate (Robert Byrd) 5. Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice) 6. Secretary of Treasury (Henry Paulson) 7. Secretary of Defense (Robert Gates) 8. Attorney General (Michael Mukasey) 9. Secretary of the Interior (Dirk Kempthorne) 10. Secretary of Agriculture (Ed Schafer), Secretary of Commerce (Carlos Gutierrez), Secretary of Labor (Elaine Chao) 11. Secretary of Health and Human Service (Michael Leavitt) 12. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Alphonso Jackson) 13. Secretary of Transportation (Mary Peters) 14. Secretary of Energy (Samuel Bodman) 15. Secretary of Education (Margaret Spellings) 16. Secretary of Veterans Affair (James Peake) 17. Secretary of Homeland Security (Michael Chertoff) ((Who ever wrote this; Kudos))~ Sultry Droid