JD Vance's comments about taking over from Trump if he dies as president
The vice-president was previously quizzed on the topic in an interview
JD Vance's comments about a scenario in which Donald Trump were to die in office have now resurfaced following strikes on Iran.
The decision for the US and Israel to kill Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a series of attacks across Iranian cities and military facilities across the Middle Eastern country has led to growing concerns about repercussions.
Iran has already launched numerous retaliatory strikes throughout the Gulf region, leading to airspace closures in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
But what if Iran were to go one step further and make an attempt on President Trump's life?
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The scenario in which a US president dies in office is one which has been meticulously planned for by the White House, with Vice-President JD Vance poised to take over in such event.
As the second most powerful person in the United States, a scenario in which Trump either dies or becomes unable to lead America is one which has surely crossed the 41-year-old's mind.
What has JD Vance said about taking over as US president?
The topic is something which came up during an interview with USA Today, with the VP saying he was ready to take over should a 'terrible tragedy' occur.
"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," he told the outlet.
While the comments were of course in reference to previous concerns about President Trump's health; the death of Khamenei and the current conflict with Iran is once again raising questions about the US leader's safety.
Trump has been the target of numerous failed assassination attempts of the years - the most serious occurring in Butler, Pennsylvania - with the topic of a retaliatory attempt on his life coming up in a recent interview with ABC News.
"I got him before he got me," Trump said in a phone call to reporter Jonathan Karl which took place on Sunday (via New York Post).
He then went on to claim that two assassination attempts on his life had previously been foiled, before adding: "Well, I got him first."
Trump previously addressed the prospect of an assassination attempt from Iran in February 2025, when a reporter asked him about threats to his life in response for the killing of Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
"That would be a terrible thing for them to do," Trump said in the resurfaced Fox News clip.
"Not because of me, if they did that they would be obliterated... that would be the end."
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, JD Vance, Iran
Brenna Cooper