re: #424 dangerman-call me sandy, not a drink named Steve

i realize we’re past inside baseball and playing stupid watergate here, so of course im just guessing
- pence doesnt resign unless it turns out they really got the goods on him
- there wont be any ‘grand bargain’ cause trump will renege the minute pence is gone and nominate someone else. (whether he’s being impeached at the time or not)

- because there is a mechanism here - the president, while still the president, even while being impeached has the right to nominate a vp.

- congress is really not going to take it up? they might vote that person down, but neither house nor senate take it up at all? a reverse merrick garland?
- and how would that look? if we can all see it already. pelosi doesnt take up trumps nomination (and worser mcconnell does), eventually trump gets impeached/convicted and she moves up to his job because they held the vp slot open? never.

unless theyre ousted simultaneously, the vp becomes pres if trump’s knocked out
if the vp is axed i guess trump doesnt have to nominate someone
but if he does and congress (or half) sits on it as part of a blatant power grab….

I agree Pence doesn’t resign unless they’ve got him dead to rites. Even then, the Senate Republicans may vote to acquit him (while convicting/removing Trump), so that Pence becomes president. He’d be a historically weak president, having already been impeached, and would likely be a lame duck as soon as he took office (every GOP Senator and Governor declares for 2020 the day the vote to remove comes down).

But let’s say he does resign. Yes, Trump gets to appoint a new VP. But that VP must be confirmed by both Houses of Congress. So, if he reneges on some agreeable grand bargain nominee; the House can take it up, and vote against confirmation. In that case, it doesn’t matter what the Senate does or doesn’t do (could McConnell try and speed the nomination through the Senate on a party line vote? Yes, he could, but given the nature of the appointment, I’m not sure how many Republicans would be on board with that). If Trump doesn’t nominate someone that can get through both chambers, and he is indeed impeached/removed, then the presidency transfers to Pelosi.

It’s an absolute nightmare and constitutional crisis the likes we’ve never really seen. And so far outside of normal that nobody has really considered it except in the most fantastical novels/TV shows.