The presidential line of succession

If the presidency becomes vacant, these offices would take it, in order, under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 and the 25th Amendment. As of October 2026.

1. 1 JD Vance · Vice President · since Jan 2025
2. 2 Mike Johnson · Speaker of the House · since Oct 2023
   The 120th Congress elects a Speaker on January 3, 2027
3. 3 Chuck Grassley · President pro tempore of the Senate · since Jan 2025
4. 4 Marco Rubio · Secretary of State · since Jan 2025
5. 5 Scott Bessent · Secretary of the Treasury · since Jan 2025
6. 6 Pete Hegseth · Secretary of Defense · since Jan 2025
   The White House uses the title Secretary of War
7. 7 Todd Blanche · Attorney General · since Aug 2026
8. 8 Doug Burgum · Secretary of the Interior · since Jan 2025
9. 9 Brooke Rollins · Secretary of Agriculture · since Feb 2025
10. 10 Howard Lutnick · Secretary of Commerce · since Feb 2025
11. 11 Keith Sonderling · Secretary of Labor · since Oct 2026
12. 12 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. · Secretary of Health and Human Services · since Feb 2025
13. 13 Scott Turner · Secretary of Housing and Urban Development · since Feb 2025
14. 14 Sean Duffy · Secretary of Transportation · since Jan 2025
15. 15 Chris Wright · Secretary of Energy · since Feb 2025
16. 16 Linda McMahon · Secretary of Education · since Mar 2025
17. 17 Doug Collins · Secretary of Veterans Affairs · since Feb 2025
18. 18 Markwayne Mullin · Secretary of Homeland Security · since Mar 2026

Other Cabinet-rank officials

Part of the Cabinet but not in the line of succession.

• Susie Wiles · White House Chief of Staff
• Jay Clayton · Director of National Intelligence
• John Ratcliffe · CIA Director
• Jamieson Greer · U.S. Trade Representative
• Kelly Loeffler · Small Business Administration
• Russell Vought · Office of Management and Budget
• Lee Zeldin · Environmental Protection Agency

Questions and answers

Who succeeds the president?

The vice president, under the 25th Amendment. Next come the Speaker of the House, the Senate's president pro tempore and the Cabinet secretaries in the order their departments were created.

Can any Cabinet member become president?

Only if they meet the constitutional requirements: natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old and 14 years a resident. Acting officials not confirmed by the Senate aren't in the line.

Has it ever gone past the vice president?

No. Nine vice presidents have become president, but it has never been necessary to go further down the list.

How the Speaker is elected · The Supreme Court

Sources: 3 U.S.C. §19 (Presidential Succession Act of 1947); U.S. Constitution, 25th Amendment; the White House Cabinet list (October 2026).

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