The title of this “View” is an allusion to The United States Order of Presidential Succession, which defines the sequence in which the vice president of the United States and other officers of the federal government would assume the powers and duties of the U.S. Presidency.
That defined Order of Succession is that the Office of the President will pass to the vice president for the remainder of the term upon the elected president’s incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office. If the vice president is unable to serve, the Speaker of the House will act as President.
Note that the sources that define the presidential order of succession are the Constitution of the United States and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
A vice president has ascended to the Office of the President due to death or resignation nine times in the history of the United States. (see Appendix at foot of article.)
Accordingly, I consider the candidacy of JD Vance in this essay; and try to determine exactly how JD Vance, a politician who’s a little more than two years into his first elected office, become the GOP’s nominee for vice president? Is he qualified for the top job?
It is a possibility that must be considered. Donald Trump would be the oldest person ever sworn in as President; and concerns about his physical, emotional, and cognitive health have increased.
I will present my thoughts in his own words, citing direct quotes.
Once again, although Trump told CBS News in August that he would “very gladly” release his medical information, he has yet to comply and continues to withhold any real details about his health. He did say he had just had a medical exam and received a “perfect score,” and two cognitive tests, which he said he “aced.” “I got everything right,” Trump said. “And one of the doctors said, ‘I’ve never seen that before, where you get everything right.’” Wow!
If you read my last two “Views,” — “Why I Vote,” which were serialized in LymeLine, you know why I cannot, in good conscience, support the candidacy of Donald Trump—a convicted felon—who promises an administration of retribution, revenge, and retaliation against his opponents and perceived “enemies;” which now include Google, who he claims has been “illegally showing only ‘bad’ stories about him and only ‘good’ ones about Kamala Harris.”
Incredibly, Trump has demanded, via posts on social media, a televised military tribunal for Liz Cheney, and the jailing of top elected officials, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
I reviewed Trump’s rally speeches, the Hitleresque themes of several of his rallies, his hatred for immigrants, creepy obsession with crowd size; and his nearly constant use of ridiculous insults and threatening rhetoric and statements; all of which became worse and more unhinged when he reverted to his old favorites, racism and misogyny as the Harris campaign progressed.
Note that the observations and opinions presented in this, and all my “Views,” are my own.
I assessed several political and legal events in Trump’s life that illustrate his moral and ethical principles; and found a man of highly compromised character. I detailed the repeated insults he has aimed at our veterans and military heroes; and the praise he has directed at our enemies like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un; and concluded that he is remarkably ill-suited for the role of Commander in Chief of America’s Armed Forces. Trump has also said that he wants military leadership that mimics the Nazi high command.
I showed that Trump and his allies regularly attack the mainstream media, often singling out The Washington Post, the NY Times, and CNN as “fake news” and “the enemy of the people.”
Crowd Size:
Trump tried to elevate himself to the level of World War II British prime minister, Winston Churchill when he addressed an Indiana, PA rally on Sept. 23. Although Trump did acknowledge Churchill as a “great speaker,” he proposed that he himself should be included in that category and complained, “I get much bigger crowds than him, “but nobody ever says I’m a great speaker.”
About a week earlier, he had also declared that he attracted bigger crowds than Elvis Presley, saying, “I’m the greatest of all time, maybe greater even than Elvis.”
The Nominee:
James David (JD) Vance is a man of flexible values; who has evolved into Trump’s “attack dog.”
Vance was once a fervent critic of Donald Trump and had been a key voice in the “Never Trump” movement during the 2016 election. “I’m a Never Trump guy,” Vance said in an interview with Charlie Rose.
In February 2016, Vance posited that Trump was “cultural heroin; and a few months later wrote in The Atlantic that, “During this election season, it appears that many Americans have reached for a new pain reliever. It too, promises a quick escape from life’s cares, an easy solution to the mounting social problems of U.S. communities and culture. It demands nothing and requires little more than a modest presence and maybe a few enablers. It enters minds, not through lungs or veins, but through eyes and ears, and its name is Donald Trump.”
Vance sent an e-mail to his former law school roommate, Josh McLaurin, who is now a Democratic state senator in Georgia (McLaurin has publicly shared the message.) Vance wrote “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical A-hole like Nixon, who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler.” How’s that for discouraging?
McLaurin said, “I never could have dreamed during those exchanges in 2016 that he would end up being one of the principal reinforcers of Trumpism only a few years later.”
In an interview with NPR in August, 2016, Vance said, “If I feel like Trump has a really good chance of winning, I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton,”
Speaking with CNN in October 2016, Vance criticized Trump for “actively antagonizing” Black voters, claiming this tactic was a long-standing Republican strategy.
“It’s not just that Donald Trump doesn’t speak to issues of special concern of minority voters or Black voters, it’s that he seems to like actively antagonizing a lot of the Black voters.”
“I think that Trump will probably lose,” he wrote in June 2020, a few months before ballots were cast in an election that Vance would later claim, falsely and repeatedly, was stolen by the Democrats.
The Transformation:
I cannot speculate on what occurred to Vance as he contemplated a bid for the Ohio Senate seat, but he became a “new believer” and launched an intense yearlong effort to fabricate a new image as a leading MAGA proponent with appearances on Fox News and meetings at Mar-a-Lago.
He earned Trump’s endorsement in the Ohio Republican Senate primary and was elected to the Senate in 2022; he was also funded heavily by pro-Trump tech mogul Peter Thiel. Note that he had apologized well ahead of his Senate campaign for calling Trump “reprehensible” over his anti-immigrant rhetoric.
During his Senate campaign, Vance denounced what he described as a “cabal” of public health experts led by White House adviser Anthony S. Fauci, that he said was seeking to suppress American liberties with unreasonable pandemic restrictions.
Cat Ladies:
In a 2021 interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Senate-candidate Vance complained that the U.S. was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs and “a bunch of childless cat ladies, who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
The VP Debate:
Vance is a master of mis-direction, thus failing to answer direct questions
Vance claimed that Trump “peacefully gave over power on January 20th and said, “I believe we do have a threat to democracy in this country, but it’s not the threat that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz want to talk about. It’s the threat of censorship.”
Vance lied about the state bill Walz signed to guarantee abortion rights, casting it as enabling infanticide, even as he falsified his own advocacy for a national abortion ban.
Astonishingly, he claimed that Trump “saved” the Affordable Care Act. “He worked in a bipartisan way to ensure that Americans had access to affordable care.” Another attempt by Vance and Trump to rewrite the record …
The Jan. 6 attack, and Trump’s false claims of a stolen election that inspired it represented the final question from the moderators and Vance muffed it; and so Walz then re-asked it as a direct question to Vance, “Well, did he lose the 2020 election?”
“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance replied; to which Walz responded, “That is a damning non-answer.”
The Trump / Vance Campaign:
After his confirmation as VP nominee, Vance attacked President Biden and claimed on Fox News that Americans elected an “empty vessel” in 2020 who is now “an incapacitated president.” He claimed Democrats had lied about Biden’s health.
Cats and Dogs:
Both Trump and Vance have repeatedly, and falsely, asserted that a community of Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio, have been kidnapping pet cats and dogs and eating them.
Here’s the Trump quote from the presidential debate: “In Springfield (Ohio), they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” As a result of that statement, hospitals, elementary and middle schools, and universities in the area have experienced threats of violence, forcing closures and evacuations.
Worse yet, Vance insists that he will keep calling the Haitian immigrants living in his state “illegal aliens,” saying that he does not consider immigrants who legally settled in the United States under programs managed by the Biden Administration and Vice President Kamala Harris to be lawful residents.” Vance states, “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.” Note: My assumption is assume that “to create stories” means to lie.
Vance has downplayed the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, stating that he “doubted” former Vice President Mike Pence’s life was in danger, despite the violent circumstances of that day. “Hang Mike Pence!”
He has echoed Trump’s criticisms of how the Justice Department prosecuted the Capitol attack rioters, alleging that the department disregarded due process protections.
Vance told ABC “This Week” that he “would not have certified the 2020 election results until states submitted pro-Trump electors.”
Hurricane Helene Misinformation:
On arrival in Valdosta, Ga. to view Hurricane Helene’s devastation, Trump claimed that President Biden was “sleeping” and not responding to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who he said was “calling the president and hasn’t been able to get him.”
Kemp had said earlier in the day that he had spoken to the president, who offered any help the state needed and said to call him directly. Trump repeated his false claims at an event with reporters, even after being informed that Gov. Kemp had said that he had already spoken to Biden.
Trump, also claimed without evidence that the federal government and North Carolina’s Democratic governor were “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.” Asheville, which was devastated by the storm, is solidly Democratic, as is much of Buncombe County, which surrounds it.
North Carolina Governor Cooper called out Trump’s latest lies that he, “along with “Democrats in Washington,” were blocking aid from coming into the state to help people in need, including President Biden and Kamala Harris, saying, “It’s all over the place—A HORRIBLE SITUATION.”
Cooper said it was “This is a flat-out lie. “We’re working with all partners around the clock to get help to people. Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger.”
Earlier, Trump boasted that he’d gotten his “buddy” Elon Musk to send Starlink satellites into North Carolina.”
FEMA had already sent 40 Starlinks to the state to restore communications.
All this from the man who, as president, withheld money from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico for years and on a belated visit tossed paper towels at needy residents. On other occasions, he repeatedly threatened to block money from blue-state governors, notably California’s Gavin Newsom during the 2018 wildfires, while promising “A-plus” treatment for states whose governors supported him.
Notably, President Biden criticized Vance as “a clone of Trump on the issues,” noting, that Vance will do what Mike Pence would not, that is, “Bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people.”
I will expand a little on those comments with an anecdote from the cinema: Mini-Me was a character from the Austin Powers trilogy of satirical spy movies. Before Dr. Evil was sent back in time to 1969, his followers made him a clone. The clone was similar in every manner although he was one-eighth his size (although Mini-Me is approximately one-third Dr. Evil’s size). Upon being introduced to his clone, Dr. Evil immediately declared, “I shall call him ‘Mini-Me.’”
Appendix: “The Nine“
- John Tyler succeeded William Henry Harrison on his death in April, 1841. Harrison had only served from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. Note that he was the oldest president-elect to take office until Ronald Reagan in 1981. Harrison’s Inaugural Adress was one hour and 45 minutes long, and was delivered in shirtsleeves in cold, windy weather. He died of pneumonia on April 4, 1841.
- Millard Fillmore succeeded Zachary Taylor when Taylor died in July, 1850.
- Andrew Johnson succeeded Abraham Lincoln upon Lincoln’s assassination on April 15, 1865.
- Chester A. Arthur succeeded James Garfield on September 19, 1881, upon Garfield’s assassination; after only 199 days as vice president.
- Theodore Roosevelt succeeded William McKinley as president on September 14, 1901, upon McKinley’s assassination; after 194 days as vice president.
- Calvin Coolidge succeeded Warren G. Harding as the 30th POTUS on August 2, 1923, upon Harding’s sudden death. Coolidge had been vice president for 2 years, 151 days.
- Harry Truman succeeded Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the 33rd POTUS on April 12, 1945 after FDR’s death. Truman was a United States senator from Missouri from 1935 to 1945; and served, briefly, as vice president in 1945.
- Lyndon Baines Johnson succeeded John F. Kennedy as the 36th POTUS on Nov 22, 1963, upon JFK’s assassination. LBJ had an extensive career in elected office.
- Gerald R. Ford succeeded Richard M. Nixon when Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974. Ford had an extensive career in elected office.
Editor’s Note:This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.
About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.
Author’s Comments: What has happened to the Republican party? These are two labile, volatile men, and they are absolutely out of control and creating havoc. This has become a campaign of lies. There is not even a hint of policy or platform in his “presentations.”
Trump, and now Vance, continue the false claims of election fraud to this day; and so, I am concerned that he will not respect the results of the election when he loses again
The Atlantic has endorsed Kamala Harris for president; only the fifth time since its founding in 1857 that it has endorsed a presidential candidate. This is the third time it has endorsed Trump’s opponent. (The Atlantic endorsed Abraham Lincoln in 1860.)
The endorsement of Harris reflects its thorough dislike of Trump as “one of the most personally malignant and politically dangerous candidates in American history” and echoes its 1860 warning that this election “is a turning-point in our history.” God save the United States of America.
Sources: A Heartbeat Away:
Alexander, R. et al. “Is JD Vance ready to govern on Day One?” Ohio Capital Journal. 08/09/2024
Allison, N. “‘My god what an idiot’: J.D. Vance gets whacked for past Trump comments.” Politico. 10/23/2021.
Becket, S. et al. “2020 election “most secure in history,” security officials say.” CBS News. 11/13/2020
Bemiller, H. “JD Vance has been a U.S. senator for 20 months. Is he ready to be vice president?”USA Today. 09/30/2024.
Cillizza, C. “The amazing – but true! – reason J.D. Vance is now favored to become a US senator.” CNN.05/04/2022
Cortellessa, E. “The Reinvention of J.D. Vance.” Time. 09/26/2024.
Cox- Richardson, H. “The Atlantic endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.” Letters from an American.10/10/2024.
DeWitt, D. “JD Vance a shameless apologist for insurrection in America and war crime assaults on democracy abroad.” Ohio Capital Journal. 02/23/2023.
Douthat, R. “Opinion: What J.D. Vance Believes.” NYTimes. 06/13/2024.
Dickinson, T. “In Debate Spotlight, Vance Proved He Can Lie Just Like Trump.” Rolling Stone. 10/02/2024
Evans, N. “Vance wondered whether Trump was ‘America’s Hitler,’ says former roommate sharing screenshot.” Ohio Capital Journal. 04/19/2022
FEMA. (09/30/2024.) “FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is On the Ground in North Carolina, Biden-Harris Administration Actively Responding and Providing Life-Saving Support.” [Press Release]
Fortinsky, S. Haberman: Trump campaign ‘perfectly happy’ with Vance in ‘attack dog’ role’.” The Hill. 09/18/2024.
Graeme, B. JD Vance named as Trump’s running mate.” BBC. 07/15/2024.
Graham, D. “J. D. Vance Tries to Rewrite History.” The Atlantic. 10/02/2024.
Gomez-Licon, A. et al. “Trump makes false claims about federal response as he campaigns in area ravaged by Hurricane Helene.” Associated Press. 09/30/2024.
Jamison, P. “JD Vance, in 2020 messages, said Trump ‘thoroughly failed to deliver’.” The Washington Post. 09/27/2024.
Kaczynski, A. & Steck,E. “JD Vance, Trump’s VP pick, once called him a ‘moral disaster,’ and possibly ‘America’s Hitler’.” CNN. 07/16/2024
Leingang, R. “Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories collide with election misinformation.” The Guardian. 10/04/2024.
Lerner, K. “New Trump January 6 court filing highlights perils of possible JD Vance vice-presidency.” The Guardian. 10/09/2024
Main, A. & Bradford, E. “Trump selected Ohio Sen. JD Vance, a critic turned ally, as running mate after last-minute push from son.” CNN. 07/15/2024
McFall, M. “JD Vance Warning Issued by Mary Trump: ‘Abnormal and Dangerous’.” Newsweek.10/03/2024
Moran, L. George Conway Sums Up A Donald Trump Tactic With 2 Words From Adolf Hitler. Huffington Post. 10/07/2024.
Nicholls, F. “Trump Warns Hostile Migrants Have Machine Guns Beyond ‘Military Scope’.” Newsweek. 10/02/2024.
Roush, T. “JD Vance Said ‘Emperor’ Trump ‘Thoroughly Failed’ In 2020, Report Says.”Forbes. 09/27/2024.
Shoemaker, A. “ ‘She can go to hell’: JD Vance attacks VP Kamala Harris over withdrawal from Afghanistan.” The Cincinnati Enquirer. 08/28/2024.
Vance, JD. “Opioid of the Masses.” The Atlantic. 07/04/2016.
Wang, A. &Kornfield, M. “The not-so-kind things J.D. Vance said about Trump before he was VP pick.” The Washington Post. 07/15/2024.
Warren, M. et al. “Senate hopeful J.D. Vance apologizes for criticizing Trump as ‘reprehensible’ in deleted tweets.” CNN. 07/16/2021.
Watson, K. “Trump defends personal attacks on Harris, discusses election outcome, release of medical records.” CBS News. 08/20/2024.
