President Donald Trump is suggesting he has left standing orders for the US military to destroy Iran “at levels they’ve never seen before” if Tehran follows through on its long-standing threats to kill him.
But the US government has no way to create an automatic, pre-authorised ” dead man’s switch” that would prompt immediate retaliation.
Instead, if Trump were killed, the transfer of power to his successor is governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. Vice President JD Vance instantaneously would become commander in chief and have authority for any retaliation.
Under such a scenario, Vance could do exactly what Trump called for, though there also is a chance he could decide not to follow his predecessor’s orders, or offer a direct response in a different way.
“The US has, for a whole variety of reasons, never utilised a ‘dead man’s switch,'” said Garrett M. Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the US Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die.”
