Kennedy replied, "Yes to both those questions."[95] There is little doubt that Robert Kennedy and Johnson hated each other,[96] yet John and Robert Kennedy agreed that dropping Johnson from the ticket could produce heavy losses in the South in the 1964 election, and they agreed that Johnson would stay on the ticket.[97][98]

Presidency (1963–1969)
Main article: Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Lyndon B. Johnson presidency.
Further information: Foreign policy of the Lyndon B. Johnson administration
Johnson assumed the presidency amid a healthy economy with steady growth and low unemployment, and with no serious international crises. Therefore, he focused his attention on domestic policy, until escalation of the Vietnam War began in August 1964.

Succession
Main article: First inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson
LBJ is sworn in on Air Force One by Judge Sarah Hughes as Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Kennedy look on.
Official White House Portrait, 1964
Johnson was quickly sworn in as president on Air Force One in Dallas on November 22, 1963, just two hours and eight minutes after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, amid suspicions of a conspiracy against the government.