If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

The correct answer is that the Speaker of the House becomes President if both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve. This line of succession is established by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which outlines the order in which officials may assume the presidency in the event of a vacancy.

The Speaker is the leader of the House of Representatives, an essential role within the legislative branch, and is third in line after the President and Vice President. This positioning emphasizes the principle of maintaining a democratic leadership structure, ensuring that an elected official assumes the presidency.

Other roles, such as the Secretary of State or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, do not fall within the presidential line of succession according to current law. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate, while also a significant legislative position, ranks below the Speaker in the established order for presidential succession. This system ensures that the head of the legislative branch can lead the country if the highest executive officials are unable to perform their duties.