For the first time, the United States will have a female president today, if only very briefly.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to undergo a routine colonoscopy Friday. While under anesthesia, Biden will temporarily transfer presidential power to Vice President Kamala Harris, giving us our first-ever female (acting) president.
Well I’m gonna find some opportunities to tweet “Acting President Harris” several times to day. https://t.co/f0U9Q9vYMQ
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) November 19, 2021
It’s not like Harris is going to implement any policy changes or pull a Janice McGeachin and try her hand at a coup while her boss is away. (Remember Idaho’s power-hungry anti-vax Lieutenant Governor? This will not be that.)
Statement from @PressSec on Biden’s routine physical this AM… pic.twitter.com/04AI232Ufy
— Sam Lisker (@slisker) November 19, 2021
This sort of transfer of power is not inconsequential, but it is fairly routine. Other presidents have done it before, although notably, not Donald Trump. He was so insecure he reportedly refused anesthesia for his colonoscopy so as not to have to transfer power to Mike Pence. He also kept the procedure secret because, according to his former press secretary, he didn’t want to be “the butt of a joke” on late-night TV. That’s unfortunate because he could have taken the opportunity to bring awareness to a procedure that still carries a needless stigma. Instead, he reinforced that stigma in order to protect his own ego.
Luckily, that’s in the past! Today, Kamala Harris makes history—again—as the first woman to hold presidential powers in the U.S.
Super excited about acting President Harris signing an executive order today to ban men.
— Kaili Joy Gray (@KailiJoy) November 19, 2021
(image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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