Nobody becomes vice president just because the president is impeached. Impeachment by the House is only a charge. If the Senate then convicts and removes the president, the sitting vice president becomes president under Section 1 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, which empties the vice presidency. The new president then nominates a replacement vice president, and that nominee takes office only after a majority vote in both the House and the Senate. So the short answer to who becomes vice president if the president is impeached is: whoever the new president picks and Congress confirms, and only after a conviction that has never actually happened in American history.
Impeachment Alone Changes Nothing
Impeachment is a formal accusation voted by a simple majority of the House. It does not remove the president, does not shift any powers, and does not touch the vice president’s role.1United States Senate. About Impeachment The president keeps the office and continues exercising full executive authority while the Senate prepares for trial.
Removal is a separate step. The Senate holds a trial and needs a two-thirds vote of the senators present to convict.2Constitution Annotated. Historical Background on Impeachment Trials Only conviction removes the president. Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump were all impeached by the House and all acquitted by the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned before the House voted. The succession machinery described below has never been triggered by an impeachment conviction.
If the President Is Removed, the Vice President Becomes President
Section 1 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment says that on the removal, death, or resignation of the president, the vice president “shall become President.”3Congress.gov. U.S. Constitution – Twenty-Fifth Amendment Not acting president. Not caretaker. The vice president takes the presidential oath, holds the full title and powers, and serves the remainder of the original term.
That elevation automatically vacates the vice presidency. No separate resignation is required; the promotion itself empties the office. From that moment, the country has a new president and no vice president.
How the New Vice President Is Chosen
Section 2 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment says the president “shall nominate” someone to fill a vice presidential vacancy.4Congress.gov. Twenty-Fifth Amendment Section 2 The nomination is a duty, not an option. The choice belongs entirely to the new president, though political reality pushes toward someone who can actually clear Congress.
The nominee has to meet the same constitutional requirements as any presidential candidate: at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.5Congress.gov. Article 2 Section 1 Clause 5
Both the House and the Senate Must Confirm
Most federal appointments only need the Senate. A vice presidential nominee under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment needs a majority vote in both chambers.3Congress.gov. U.S. Constitution – Twenty-Fifth Amendment Each chamber holds hearings, examines the nominee’s background and qualifications, and votes. Once both approve by simple majority, the nominee takes the oath and begins serving.
Until confirmation is complete, the vice presidency stays empty. That gap can last weeks or months, which is why the statutory line of succession beyond the vice president exists at all.
The Ford and Rockefeller Precedent
The replacement process has been used twice, and neither time followed an impeachment. Both came out of the Nixon-era crisis.
Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in October 1973 over criminal charges unrelated to the presidency. President Nixon nominated Gerald Ford. The Senate confirmed Ford 92–3 and the House confirmed him 387–35, and he was sworn in on December 6, 1973.6Ford Presidential Library. The Establishment and First Uses of the 25th Amendment
When Nixon resigned in August 1974, Ford became president under Section 1 and inherited an empty vice presidency. He nominated Nelson Rockefeller, who was confirmed by the Senate 90–7 and by the House 287–128 and sworn in on December 19, 1974.6Ford Presidential Library. The Establishment and First Uses of the 25th Amendment For a stretch, neither the president nor the vice president had been elected to those offices. That sequence remains the only real-world test of how a vice presidential replacement plays out.
What If Both Offices Are Empty at Once
If the vice presidency is already vacant when a president is removed, the Presidential Succession Act at 3 U.S.C. § 19 fills the gap. The Speaker of the House is first in line, followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, then the cabinet in order of when each department was created, starting with the Secretary of State.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 3 USC 19 – Vacancy in Offices of Both President and Vice President
The Speaker and the president pro tempore have to resign their congressional seats to serve as acting president; cabinet members do not. Anyone stepping in still has to meet the constitutional eligibility rules for the presidency. This chain only matters when there is no vice president available, which is exactly the situation right after a president has been removed and before Congress has confirmed a replacement.