Donald Trump's presidency has been mired in scandals, most notably, the alleged Stormi Daniels affair and the accusations of treasonous collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. However, the man is surprisingly resilient, like Super Mario after an invincibility star. The scandals appear to cause no damage. His base still loves him, and the vast majority of Republican politicians continue to support him.

Yet Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation continues, and this was not a good week for President Trump. His former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was found guilty on ten criminal charges. This includes five tax fraud charges, two charges of bank fraud and one charge of hiding foreign bank accounts. Manafort faces a maximum punishment of 80 years in prison.

To make matters worse, Trump's longtime personal attorney and close confidant, Michael Cohen, pled guilty to eight crimes. These range from tax evasion to campaign-finance violations, springing from the payoff for the alleged Stormi Daniels affair. Reportedly Cohen, who is said to know a lot of Trump's secrets, has "flipped." This news has given Trump critics hope that their fantasy of impeachment might become a reality.

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However, they want to hold back on impeachment. In an interview with Fox News' Aisnley Earhardt, President Trump revealed what would happen if the Democrats regained control of Congress and removed him from office: The stock market would crash, and "everybody would be very poor."

"If I ever got impeached, I think the market would crash, I think everybody would be very poor. You would see numbers that you wouldn't believe. ... You know, I guess it says something like high crimes and all -- I don't know how you can impeach somebody who has done a great job."

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Sounds logical to me! When asked what grade he would give himself on his performance in office, President Trump said, "A plus." Pretty humble - he could have said A plus plus plus, but he held back.

 
"I give myself an A+. I don't think any President has ever done what I have done. We haven't even been 2 years. Biggest tax cuts in history. Soon to be two unbelievable Supreme Court justices, I'm sure that Justice Kavanaugh will be approved. Justice Gorsuch has been a star.

"You look at all the things we have done with regulations, the economy is the best it has ever been in history. The only thing I'm doing badly in is the press doesn't cover me fairly."

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Well, according to Politifact, Trump's tax cuts were not the biggest in history. Critics would argue that those tax cuts mostly benefited the rich, and that the economy is booming thanks in part to Barack Obama's policies, and that Justice Gorsuch should have never been confirmed, since that Supreme Court pick was rightfully Barack Obama's, and outrageously stolen from him by a petty, petulant Republican-controlled Congress. But hey, that's the divided USA! One side grades Trump an A plus, while the other side grades him an F minus.

In the interview, the president also decried confidents "flipping," equating it to lying, and arguing the practice should be illegal.

"It's called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal... I know all about flipping, 30, 40 years I have been watching flippers. Everything is wonderful and then they get 10 years in jail and they flip on whoever the next highest one is or as high as you can go."

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Few people predicted Donald Trump would become president, and few can predict how this FBI investigation will end. Impeachment seems unlikely, though, since it would require consent from the House and two-thirds of the Senate, which Republicans dominate.

Also, only two US presidents were impeached, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and they both were acquitted by the Senate, meaning they did not have to leave office. (Richard Nixon resigned, rather than face a vote from the Senate, which likely would voted to remove him from office.)

Tuesday was quite the day for news. Vice President Mike Pence reminded everyone just how racially biased politics is by posing with other old white men on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, a 95-year-old ex-Nazi guard was being deported back to Germany.

Former MI6 officer Christopher Steele won his case against Russian oligarchs who sued him for alleging they had links with Trump. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sat down with Judge Kavanaugh to speak about healthcare legislation, Democrat senator Elizabeth Warren gave an impassioned speech and unveiled a new anti-corruption bill and republican senator Rand Paul suggested the US speaks to Russia about the size of NATO.

But it was also a busy day for the big man himself, as his son would call him. President Donald Trump hit out against both former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, scrapped regulations on coal emissions, then celebrated at a huge rally in West Virginia.

However, in what is being called the “worst hour” of his entire presidency, a number of things happened yesterday which were woefully beyond Trump’s control. Paul Manafort, the president’s former campaign chairman, was convicted on eight charges of bank and tax fraud. Then, minutes later, Trump’s ex-attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges including campaign finance violations.

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Some of these charges include the payment of “hush money” to women Trump is thought to have engaged in extramarital affairs with. Crucially, this happened in the run-up to the presidential election and the payments were quite possibly to reduce the risk of damaging stories emerging. One of the payments was to ex-adult film star Stormy Daniels, who went public with her story despite apparent threats from the Trump administration.

In the hours since, Donald Trump’s twitter became oddly normal. There were no rants blaming the media, immigrants, “dems” or other scapegoats for the issues he’s facing. That is, until the inevitable happened.

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Trump’s reputation, his marriage, and indeed his presidency hang in the balance. This has brought up the topic of impeachment - of Donald Trump being put on trial and potentially removed as president. So how would this actually happen?

Impeachment is only the “trial” part of this process but, needless to say, it’s still fairly rare. There have only ever been two impeached US presidents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, neither of whom were convicted by the Senate.

Impeachment is similar to the process of indictment through a grand jury. The constitution outlines a broad range of offences that can lead to impeachment: “Treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”. If it was determined that Trump had satisfied these conditions, the ensuing process would be a lot like a bill passing through legislature.

A majority in the House of Representatives - 218 out of 435 members - would need to approve articles of impeachment previously approved in committee. The process could take days or months. However, conviction necessitates a separate stage to impeachment and requires "the concurrence of two thirds of the members present”.

In both cases, the odds are in Trump’s favour. The House of Representatives is formed of 238 Republican seats and 193 Democrat seats. Meanwhile, the Senate is formed of 51 Republican seats and 49 Democrat seats, including two independents.

Richard Nixon would almost certainly have been impeached and convicted following the Watergate scandal. However, despite infamously insisting “I am not a crook”, the disgraced president resigned and handed the presidency over to Gerald Ford - therefore avoiding any chance of further action.

Legal scholars have highlighted that Trump was in direct violation of the foreign emoluments clause - in Article I, Section 9, of the Constitution - from the moment he was sworn in. This clause stipulates that: "No person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States], shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office or Title of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State.”With a glittering array of global business interests, Trump would appear to be flouting this rule. However, having handed the reins over to his eldest son Donald Trump Jr, he has taken significant steps to avoid impeachment (on these grounds, at least).

Ultimately, it seems the chances of Trump being impeached are slim and the chances of him subsequently being removed from office are even slimmer. However, with a president as unpredictable as him, it's hard to be certain of anything. Though we can be certain of one thing. If Trump was impeached and convicted, the presidency would go to current vice president Mike Pence. Every cloud...

The Special Counsel Investigation, headed by former Director of the FBI Robert Mueller, has been looking into illegal interference with the 2016 election - and in many people's eyes, it has now been vindicated. However, only time will tell if this current political earthquake is big enough to unseat Mr Trump, or if he'll simply ride it out.

Featured illustration by Egarcigu

Whether you love him or hate him, Donald Trump remains one of the most talked-about men on the planet - but what would happen if he were to suddenly pass away?

So much has happened in the last few weeks, but you might remember the rumor that swept through social media that the President had died.

But the temporary disappearance, coupled with comments from Vice President JD Vance and concerns about the president's appearance in recent months, has reignited public curiosity about what happens if a sitting president were to die in office.

Over America’s 248-year history, only eight presidents have died while in office - four by assassination, and four from natural causes.

The last was President John F. Kennedy in 1963, whose assassination led to a constitutional amendment to clarify presidential succession.

Now, with Trump beginning his second term earlier this year and speculation mounting over visible bruising on his hands, the question seems more relevant than ever: what exactly happens if the president dies during their term?

The 25th Amendment ensures immediate transition of power

Following JFK’s death, the U.S. ratified the 25th Amendment, which clearly outlines the next steps. It states: “The Vice President shall become President if the President is removed from office, dies, or resigns.”

In Trump’s case, that means Vice President JD Vance would immediately be informed and sworn in as president. Only after this would the public be notified, at which point national flags would be lowered to half-staff for a minimum of 30 days, per the Mirror.

Vance would also be required to nominate a new vice president - an appointment that must be approved by majority vote in both the House and the Senate.

Should the vice president be unable to take the top job, the Speaker of the House, currently Mike Johnson, would be next in line.

Ceremonial honors: From Capitol Rotunda to a 50-gun salute

If a president were to die outside Washington, D.C., their body would be returned to the capital, most likely to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, per the Economic Times.

This would allow the public to pay respects in a solemn, televised ceremony, similar to what was seen following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in 2022.

Although the president is a government employee, the funeral itself is a private affair, organized by the family.

Services could last several days to a week and would be broadcast globally, with heads of state from around the world in attendance. A 50-gun salute - one for each U.S. state - would mark the moment.

Featured image credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty

Following a vote by the House of Representatives, President Donald Trump was impeached on Wednesday, NBC News has reported.

Trump becomes the third president in the history of the US to be impeached by Congress, following a 10-hour debate speculating if the POTUS violated his oath in pressuring Ukraine to damage a political opponent.

Per NPR, the president was impeached on two articles. The first was to impeach him for abuse of power and was almost entirely on party lines, resulting in a vote of 230-197. The second was over Trump's obstruction of Congress, which resulted in a vote of 229-198.

Trump is accused of  "multiple federal crimes" following conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, asking for an investigation into Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden.

ABC News reports that Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the official decision, which has subsequently set up a Senate trial by the the GOP-controlled Senate in January.

NBC News states that it is likely that Trump will be acquitted, seeing as a two-thirds majority is required for conviction and removal from office.

Trump took the stage at a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, just minutes prior to the votes on Wednesday night, and told the cheering crowd:

"It doesn't really feel like we're being impeached. The country is doing better than ever before. We did nothing wrong. And we have tremendous support in the Republican Party like we have never had before. Nobody has ever had this kind of support."

Pelosi took to the House floor to state that it was imperative to impeach a president for the first time in two decades due to the fact Trump is "an ongoing threat to our national security and the integrity of our elections."

She continued: "It is an established fact the president violated the Constitution."

Speaking on the House floor, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives Debbie Lesko stated: "I believe this is the most unfair, politically biased rigged process that I have seen in my entire life."

"This is the most partisan impeachment in the history of the United States. Not one Republican voted for it in the Judiciary Committee ... not one Republican, I don't think, is going to vote for it here today."

 - UPDATE -

Per the Daily Mail, Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated at a press conference on Wednesday night that she will not send the articles of impeachment to the Senate until she feels they’ll get a fair hearing. She said:

"We have legislation approved by the Rules Committee that will enable us to decide how we will send over the articles of impeachment. We cannot name [impeachment] managers until we see what the process is on the Senate side.

"So far we haven't seen anything that looks fair to us. So hopefully it will be fairer. And when see what that is, we'll send our managers."

Reading from a piece of paper an aide handed her, Pelosi continued:

"Let me tell you what I don't consider a fair trial.

"This is what I don't consider a fair trial, that Leader McConnell has stated that he's not an impartial juror, that he's going to take his 'cues' from the White House, and he is working in total coordination with the White House counsel's office."

Pelosi was referring to Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who had previously said he's not an "impartial" juror. Pelosi stated that she won't hand him the baton without a pledge of "fairness".

Donald Trump remains one of the most talked-about figures in modern politics.

In recent months, social media has been flooded with rumors about his health, including a false claim that the president had died.

His brief disappearance from public view, comments from Vice President JD Vance, and renewed scrutiny over visible bruising on his hands have only intensified speculation.

With Trump in his second term, questions about presidential succession are once again surfacing.

What would actually happen if a sitting president were to die in office?

A nation thrown into chaos

In a YouTube video by Unsolved, the country is glued to screens as Donald Trump prepares to take the stage at a packed rally.

Just as he is about to deliver another broadside against “fake news” and the “Deep State,” the unthinkable happens. He is assassinated in front of thousands of supporters and millions watching at home.

The country is thrown into turmoil. Conspiracy theories erupt almost immediately. Was it the Deep State? A former supporter? An extremist? Even someone within his own party? Social media explodes with hashtags and speculation, with some pushing #TrumpWasRight while others demand answers with #WhoDoneIt.

The immediate consequences would be seismic.

The Republican Party, already preparing for a high-stakes election cycle, would be plunged into crisis.

A convention meant to formally back Trump could quickly devolve into a fierce power struggle.

Figures such as Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Ted Cruz would suddenly find themselves at the center of a political storm, each weighing how to step into the vacuum without alienating Trump’s fiercely loyal base.

For many supporters, Trump’s death would transform him from political leader to martyr.

Protests could erupt nationwide. Armed militia groups might claim they are defending his legacy.

Donald Trump raising his fist after surviving a assassination attempt. Credit: Jeff Swensen / Getty

Others would fear the unrest could spiral into something even more destabilizing than the protests seen in 2020. The Democrats, meanwhile, would hardly be in a comfortable position.

Facing an election amid national upheaval would carry its own risks, especially with tensions over legitimacy and the potential for unrest.

There would likely be calls to delay the election, though doing so would require bipartisan agreement that seems improbable in today’s climate.

Moving forward as scheduled would pose its own dangers, as the country grapples with grief, anger, and uncertainty. In the worst case scenario, disputes over the election’s fairness could ignite deeper conflict.

Beyond politics, the cultural shock would be enormous. News coverage would intensify even further. Late night hosts would struggle to balance satire with solemnity.

Social media would blur the lines between fact and speculation. The assassination of such a divisive and influential figure would leave lasting scars, potentially fueling more extreme movements on both sides and testing the resilience of American democracy itself.

The constitutional process: how power would transfer

While the political fallout could be chaotic, the legal framework is clear.

Over America’s 248 year history, eight presidents have died while in office, four due to assassination and four from natural causes.

The most recent was President John F. Kennedy in 1963. His assassination led directly to the ratification of the 25th Amendment, which clarifies presidential succession.

The amendment states: “The Vice President shall become President if the President is removed from office, dies, or resigns.”

If Trump were to die in office, Vice President JD Vance would immediately be notified and sworn in as president. Only after the transition of power would the public be formally informed. National flags would be lowered to half staff for at least 30 days.

Once sworn in, Vance would be required to nominate a new vice president.

That nominee would need to be confirmed by a majority vote in both the House and the Senate. If, for some reason, the vice president were unable to assume the presidency, the Speaker of the House, currently Mike Johnson, would be next in line.

In other words, while emotions and politics might run high, the constitutional mechanism for succession is designed to function swiftly and decisively.

JD Vance would become President. Credit: Caylo Seals / Getty

Ceremonial honors and a global farewell

If a president dies outside Washington, DC, their body is typically returned to the capital. It would most likely lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, allowing members of the public to pay their respects in a solemn and widely televised ceremony.

Though the president is a government employee, the funeral itself is organized by the family and remains a private matter. Services could stretch across several days or even a full week. World leaders would likely attend, and global broadcasts would carry every moment.

A 50 gun salute, one round for each state, would mark the occasion.

Featured image credit: Jeff Swensen / Getty