JD Vance Says He’s Prepared to Take Over ‘If, God Forbid’ Something Happens to Trump
USA Today
Vice President JD Vance told USA Today on Thursday that he was prepared to take over “if, God forbid,” 79-year-old President Donald Trump dies or is otherwise incapacitated.
“As vice president, you’re a heartbeat away from the presidency, and your boss is one of the oldest people to ever be sworn into office,” said USA Today White House correspondent Francesca Chambers during an interview with Vance. “Are you ready to assume the role of commander-in-chief? And why should Americans trust you to lead the country?”
Vance responded, “Well, I’ve gotten a lot of good on-the-job training in the last 200 days, but I’d also say that the president is in incredibly good health. He’s got incredible energy, and while most of the people that work around the president of the United States are younger than he is, I think that we find that he actually is the last person who goes to sleep, he’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and the first person making phone calls in the morning.”
He continued, “So yes, things can always happen. Yes, terrible tragedies happen. But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is gonna serve out the remainder of his term, and do great things for the American people, and if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”
Conservatives and liberals alike have expressed concern over Trump’s health in recent months, with photos of a large bruise on the president’s hand prompting speculation on social media.
Responding to questions about the bruise and swelling of the president’s lower legs last month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that a medical examination revealed “chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”
“Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” she told reporters. “No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified.”
Last month, pro-Trump commentator and Infowars founder Alex Jones claimed Trump was “declining faster and faster,” comparing the president to “a light bulb that’s starting to go out.”
“He’s got extremely swollen ankles,” warned Jones. “That’s not a good sign for the heart and the rest of the body.”
He added, “You can see him declining faster and faster,” before concluding, “I predict Trump is gonna have some type of collapse within the next 12 months at the current trajectory.”
