By MIKE MAGEE

This has been two weeks of blended messages relating to the very best workplaces of the land. Simply two weeks in the past on July 1, 2024, a majority of the  Supreme Court docket determined to develop Presidential immunity for felony malfeasance whereas within the workplace that former President Trump had so severely tarnished on January 6, 2021.

The Supreme Court docket’s meddling occurred simply three days after President Biden was pressured to acknowledge that he had badly flubbed the First Presidential debate, which led to a collection of restoration strikes (the ABC Stephanopoulos interview on July 6; the stay Press Convention in D.C. on July 11; and the full-energy “Don’t You Give up” rally in Detroit, Michigan on July 12) to attempt to show he wasn’t too previous or infirm to do the job.

Within the meantime, Vice President Kamala Harris remained loyal and succesful within the wings, whereas Trump went silent, cagily delaying his determination on his personal operating mate till he had better readability on who precisely he was operating in opposition to.

And someday later, a 20-year previous registered Republican, got here inside inches of efficiently assassinating the previous President with an computerized sniper rifle of the range vigorously defended as simply advantageous for civilian circulation by Republicans.

All of this would possibly lead you to imagine, relating to the highest two positions in our Government Department of presidency, that we’ve got entered uncommon instances. However, as historical past nicely illustrates, nothing may very well be farther from the reality.

In our transient historical past as a functioning Democracy, eight of our Presidents have died in workplace and one has resigned. 4 sitting Presidents have been killed by gunshot (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, JFK) and three have survived makes an attempt on their lives (Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, and now Donald Trump). As for his or her #2’s, seven VP’s have died in workplace and two have resigned in workplace. And that doesn’t even start to cowl the numerous instances the place these prime elected officers have managed to take care of their positions by hiding and covering-up a variety of debilitating bodily and psychological diseases whereas in workplace.

The Founder Fathers had little curiosity in insulating their prime leaders from authorized oversight. However after we declared our independence in 1776, it took one other decade or so earlier than the Constitutional Conference settled on a system of prime management and succession. That they had already established that the workplace of the Vice President could be created, and that the President and the Vice President could be elected by the Electoral Faculty.  However final energy lay with the Congress. In the event that they noticed match for any purpose to take away each the President and the Vice President, and put anyone in his place till the subsequent election, they’d the facility to take action.

It took 5 extra years for the physique to resolve on a plan who would lead the nation if each president and vice ‑president have been to develop into disabled or eliminated on the identical time. They determined that the subsequent prime two individuals within the Federal Authorities who had really been elected by the individuals could be the President professional tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Home of Representatives. That was the road of succession as of 1792.

This was the established legislation for an additional half century, till 1841, when William Henry Harrison died of typhoid.  He had solely served for 31 days and, because it was specified by the Structure, the Vice President assumed his workplace, however the extent of his powers and the titling related along with his assumption of energy have been unclear. Was the Vice President only a substitute till the subsequent election or was he really now president? John Tyler just about resolved that query with a very Trumpian transfer.  He contacted the primary native decide he might discover, and had himself sworn in as President, not as “Performing President.” This created an enormous stir. John Quincy Adams went loopy over this difficulty, however a precedent had been set. From then on, if a President died, the Vice President turned President.

Now, as we’ve seen, presidential and vice‑-presidential turnover will not be unusual. So this deal with succession will not be a theoretical train. It’s an actual difficulty for our consultant democracy. And it’s fairly stunning in lots of ways in which it’s been left as unfastened because it has been left in our Structure. Crises just like the one which concerned John Tyler are how this difficulty has been queued up. Legislative options have largely been reactive.

For instance, in 1886, there was the assassination of James Garfield.  He was shot on July 2nd, 1881, however he lived for an additional 80 days, unable to perform as President throughout that time period. It’s notable that over all of these 80 days, he by no means had a dialogue with Chester Arthur, the vp, about assuming the presidency or what could be the priorities. In reality, Chester Arthur was completely remoted, each by Garfield and by the individuals who serve Garfield.

Arthur did set up a committee to look at problems with succession, however they did little to appropriate the core downside of amassing a lot energy in just a few people with out enough checks and balances. Now, it took only some years extra to show {that a} President in energy, supported by political allies and household, was highly effective sufficient to skirt or ignore all the foundations and limits Congress felt they’d established. Working example: Woodrow Wilson. However that’s one other story you may discover in better depth HERE if it pursuits you.

So what have we realized prior to now two weeks?

1. In our quick American historical past, traumatic damage and lack of life have been a relentless menace to our President and Vice-President in workplace.
2. As soon as in workplace, Presidents have a tendency to attenuate their psychological and bodily disabilities, and are aided of their conspiracies by members of the family and political loyalists and allies.
3. Peaceable switch of energy within the Government department has been acknowledged as “the weakest hyperlink” by the Founding Fathers who spent a number of many years trying to handle this potential democracy-threatening legal responsibility.
4. The lively debate inside the Democratic get together on their “remaining” 2024 ticket is in line with different incumbent candidates who’ve struggled and managed to carry onto energy with various outcomes.
5. Extending additional protections from legal responsibility to the now wounded and newly heroic former President Trump, a convicted felon who overtly declares his intent to increase the facility of the Government nicely past the fears of the unique Founding Fathers, would recommend that this Supreme Court docket has, intentionally or mistakenly, wandered into new and uncharted territory.

U.S. Government Department Management Turnover and Misbehavior Is Widespread.

Mike Magee M.D.

This has been two weeks of blended messages relating to the very best workplaces of the land. Simply two weeks in the past on July 1, 2024, a majority of the  Supreme Court docket determined to develop Presidential immunity for felony malfeasance whereas within the workplace that former President Trump had so severely tarnished on January 6, 2021.

The Supreme Court docket’s meddling occurred simply three days after President Biden was pressured to acknowledge that he had badly flubbed the First Presidential debate, which led to a collection of restoration strikes (the ABC Stephanopoulos interview on July 6; the stay Press Convention in D.C. on July 11; and the full-energy “Don’t You Give up” rally in Detroit, Michigan on July 12) to attempt to show he wasn’t too previous or infirm to do the job.

Within the meantime, Vice President Kamala Harris remained loyal and succesful within the wings, whereas Trump went silent, cagily delaying his determination on his personal operating mate till he had better readability on who precisely he was operating in opposition to.

And someday later, a 20-year previous registered Republican, got here inside inches of efficiently assassinating the previous President with an computerized sniper rifle of the range vigorously defended as simply advantageous for civilian circulation by Republicans.

All of this would possibly lead you to imagine, relating to the highest two positions in our Government Department of presidency, that we’ve got entered uncommon instances. However, as historical past nicely illustrates, nothing may very well be farther from the reality.

In our transient historical past as a functioning Democracy, eight of our Presidents have died in workplace and one has resigned. 4 sitting Presidents have been killed by gunshot (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, JFK) and three have survived makes an attempt on their lives (Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, and now Donald Trump). As for his or her #2’s, seven VP’s have died in workplace and two have resigned in workplace. And that doesn’t even start to cowl the numerous instances the place these prime elected officers have managed to take care of their positions by hiding and covering-up a variety of debilitating bodily and psychological diseases whereas in workplace.

The Founder Fathers had little curiosity in insulating their prime leaders from authorized oversight. However after we declared our independence in 1776, it took one other decade or so earlier than the Constitutional Conference settled on a system of prime management and succession. That they had already established that the workplace of the Vice President could be created, and that the President and the Vice President could be elected by the Electoral Faculty.  However final energy lay with the Congress. In the event that they noticed match for any purpose to take away each the President and the Vice President, and put anyone in his place till the subsequent election, they’d the facility to take action.

It took 5 extra years for the physique to resolve on a plan who would lead the nation if each president and vice ‑president have been to develop into disabled or eliminated on the identical time. They determined that the subsequent prime two individuals within the Federal Authorities who had really been elected by the individuals could be the President professional tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Home of Representatives. That was the road of succession as of 1792.

This was the established legislation for an additional half century, till 1841, when William Henry Harrison died of typhoid.  He had solely served for 31 days and, because it was specified by the Structure, the Vice President assumed his workplace, however the extent of his powers and the titling related along with his assumption of energy have been unclear. Was the Vice President only a substitute till the subsequent election or was he really now president? John Tyler just about resolved that query with a very Trumpian transfer.  He contacted the primary native decide he might discover, and had himself sworn in as President, not as “Performing President.” This created an enormous stir. John Quincy Adams went loopy over this difficulty, however a precedent had been set. From then on, if a President died, the Vice President turned President.

Now, as we’ve seen, presidential and vice‑-presidential turnover will not be unusual. So this deal with succession will not be a theoretical train. It’s an actual difficulty for our consultant democracy. And it’s fairly stunning in lots of ways in which it’s been left as unfastened because it has been left in our Structure. Crises just like the one which concerned John Tyler are how this difficulty has been queued up. Legislative options have largely been reactive.

For instance, in 1886, there was the assassination of James Garfield.  He was shot on July 2nd, 1881, however he lived for an additional 80 days, unable to perform as President throughout that time period. It’s notable that over all of these 80 days, he by no means had a dialogue with Chester Arthur, the vp, about assuming the presidency or what could be the priorities. In reality, Chester Arthur was completely remoted, each by Garfield and by the individuals who serve Garfield.

Arthur did set up a committee to look at problems with succession, however they did little to appropriate the core downside of amassing a lot energy in just a few people with out enough checks and balances. Now, it took only some years extra to show {that a} President in energy, supported by political allies and household, was highly effective sufficient to skirt or ignore all the foundations and limits Congress felt they’d established. Working example: Woodrow Wilson. However that’s one other story you may discover in better depth HERE if it pursuits you.

So what have we realized prior to now two weeks?

1. In our quick American historical past, traumatic damage and lack of life have been a relentless menace to our President and Vice-President in workplace.
2. As soon as in workplace, Presidents have a tendency to attenuate their psychological and bodily disabilities, and are aided of their conspiracies by members of the family and political loyalists and allies.
3. Peaceable switch of energy within the Government department has been acknowledged as “the weakest hyperlink” by the Founding Fathers who spent a number of many years trying to handle this potential democracy-threatening legal responsibility.
4. The lively debate inside the Democratic get together on their “remaining” 2024 ticket is in line with different incumbent candidates who’ve struggled and managed to carry onto energy with various outcomes.
5. Extending additional protections from legal responsibility to the now wounded and newly heroic former President Trump, a convicted felon who overtly declares his intent to increase the facility of the Government nicely past the fears of the unique Founding Fathers, would recommend that this Supreme Court docket has, intentionally or mistakenly, wandered into new and uncharted territory.

Mike Magee MD is a Medical Historian and common THCB contributor. He’s the writer of CODE BLUE: Inside America’s Medical Industrial Advanced. (Grove/2020)