, ▁Section ▁ 1 , ▁Cla use ▁ 6 , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Tw enti eth ▁Am end ment ▁and ▁Tw enty - fif th ▁Am end ment . ▁The ▁vice ▁president ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁office holder ▁named ▁in ▁the ▁Constitution ▁as ▁a ▁president ial ▁successor . ▁The ▁Article ▁II ▁succession ▁clause ▁author izes ▁Congress ▁to ▁design ate ▁which ▁federal ▁office hold ers ▁would ▁acc ede ▁to ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁that ▁the ▁vice ▁president ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁a ▁situation ▁which ▁has ▁never ▁occurred . ▁The ▁current ▁President ial ▁Su cc ession ▁Act ▁was ▁adopted ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁and ▁last ▁re vised ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁order ▁of ▁succession ▁is ▁as ▁follows : ▁the ▁vice ▁president , ▁the ▁speaker ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives , ▁the ▁president ▁pro ▁temp ore ▁of ▁the ▁Senate , ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁el ig ible ▁heads ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁executive ▁depart ments ▁who ▁form ▁the ▁president ' s ▁Cab inet , ▁beginning ▁with ▁the ▁secretary ▁of ▁state . ▁ ▁If ▁the ▁president ▁dies , ▁res ign s ▁or ▁is ▁removed ▁from ▁office , ▁the ▁vice ▁president ▁automatically ▁becomes ▁president . ▁Like wise , ▁were ▁a ▁president - elect ▁to ▁die ▁during ▁the ▁transition ▁period , ▁or ▁decl ine ▁to ▁serve , ▁the ▁vice ▁president - elect ▁would ▁become ▁president ▁on ▁In aug uration ▁Day . ▁A ▁vice ▁president ▁can ▁also ▁become ▁the ▁acting ▁president ▁if ▁the ▁president ▁becomes ▁in cap ac itated . ▁However ,