Leaders should know how the government they want to lead works. But Donald Trump has once again shown otherwise. In an appearance on The Ben Shapiro Show, Donald Trump suggested that both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris should be removed from office under the 25th Amendment. The most surprising part? Trump admitted he didn’t know who would become president after them, asking who was “third in line” according to the Constitution.
Trump says that both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris should be removed from office under the 25th Amendment, but he’s not sure who would become president then as 3rd in line under the Constitution. pic.twitter.com/KvQ3pKf3Pg
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 8, 2024
In the United States, if the president leaves office or is removed, the vice president takes over. If something happens to both, the Speaker of the House is next in line. This is basic government knowledge, yet Trump seemed confused by it. One Twitter user, Jared Ryan Sears, replied to Filipkowski’s tweet, saying: “Trump didn’t know how the government worked or what the Constitution said before becoming President, learned nothing while serving as the worst President in US history, and somehow knows even less today. The question should be, ‘Who is second in line?’ The answer is the Speaker of the House.”
“Who’s third in line?”
Trump didn’t know how the government worked or what the Constitution said before becoming President, learned nothing while serving as the worst President in US history, and somehow knows even less today.
The question should be, “Who is second in line?”…
— Jared Ryan Sears (@JaredRyanSears) October 8, 2024
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It’s hard to understand how someone who wants to be president again doesn’t know this. Another Twitter user, Cheryl Schaeffer, said it perfectly: “You shouldn’t be running for president if you don’t know who is 3rd in line for the president position. That’s elementary school history stuff.”
You shouldn’t be running for president if you don’t know who is 3rd in line for the president position. That’s elementary school history stuff.
— Cheryl Schaeffer (@CherylSchaeffer) October 8, 2024
This kind of mistake isn’t new for Trump. When he was president, he often showed he didn’t understand history or how the government works. For example, in 2017, Trump claimed that Andrew Jackson could have stopped the Civil War. The issue? Andrew Jackson had died in 1845, years before the Civil War even started in 1861. This clearly shows that Trump didn’t fully grasp basic historical facts, which is concerning for someone who held the highest office in the country.
Another example is from 2018. Trump signed an executive order saying he would stop family separations at the border. However, these separations were a result of his own administration’s policies. Even though Trump tried to make it look like he was solving the problem, he didn’t fully understand the policy he had put in place. These mistakes show that Trump doesn’t have a good understanding of the government he once led. It’s one thing to make a small mistake, but Trump keeps making big mistakes about important things. How can someone lead a country if they don’t even know how the government works?
As the 2024 election gets closer, voters need to think carefully about who they want to lead. Do we really want someone who doesn’t understand basic government rules? Or should we choose a leader who knows how the system works and can lead the country well? Trump’s confusion about the 25th Amendment and who comes next in line for the presidency is just one more reason why he shouldn’t be president again. We need leaders who are informed, not confused.
Featured image via screengrab
