Nelson Rockefeller, if I recall, former governor of New York.

... Dream got slightly better.

Not sure if it is the house or the Senate, or both. I don't remember, just know they had to vote on the VP

He was a member of the House of Representatives.

Kind of alt-Speaker in a way.

But the point remains: the only way a Speaker is raised to the Presidency is by simultaneous vacancy of both the P and VP offices.

Ford, a Republican, was appointed VP by a Republican President who then resigned. He was not raised in one step, he was not Speaker, and he was not from the opposite party. He was not raised to VP, he was appointed to VP.

The House can choose a speaker who is NOT a member.

Now I'd rather have Pelosi stay-- she's smart and savvy, and I'm tired of women politicians getting trashed and then be called 'politically toxic"--

But if not-- The Democrats could elect a former senator, secretary of state, and first lady-- all in one package.
Hillary Clinton, Speaker of the House.

Constitution's Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5: “The House of Representatives shall chuse [sic] their Speaker and other Officers."

They don't deserve a choice in the matter.

The new President would be able to nominate a new Vice President, but that nomination would have to be approved by a majority vote of both houses of Congress (25th Amendment, Section 2). After that, I can't see any bar to the President resigning.

... that would be the roadblock then.

But it looks like the house majority can select a non ... CONGRESS ... member to be SOTH and via succession the SOTH becomes president.

Waiting for clarity on that end too.

Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack H. Obama

They have all served two full terms as president and are ineligible to serve as VP (who must be eligible to be president) or president.

with LakeSuperioriew on this very topic. I had posted the following excerpt, and we went back and forth for 12 posts, with LSV insisting Obama could be named as the VP candidate.

Although the Constitution does not require the Speaker to be a Member of the House, all Speakers have been Members. When a Congress convenes for the first time, each major party conference or caucus nominates a candidate for Speaker. Members customarily elect the Speaker by roll call vote.

http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/memberfaq.aspx

A new speaker of the house could be anyone.

He never served on the Senate.

is correct also.

I answered her question

He can nominate a VP, but has to be approved by the House and Senate

The Nixon years had two VP appts:
Agnew was forced out (bribery conviction).
1. Nixon nominated Gerald Ford, and he was approved.
2. After Nixon's resignation, Ford nominated his own VP- Nelson Rockefeller.

With both occasions, there were weeks-- months with Rocky-- where there was no VP. During these periods, if a vacancy happened in the presidency, the speaker would have become president.

But the President and Vice President have to be sworn in first. I don't know whether there is a minimum time that the President must serve.

But the scenario you are looking at is unlikely. If Trump and Pence get indicted for crimes, when one resigns, the other will pick a replacement. They would both have to stroke out and die at the same time upon getting indicted for the Speaker of the House to take over and chose a VP.

Rockefeller in 1974 wasn't approved for 4 months almost.

The current SOTH is PAUL RYAN, so that doesn't advance the Democratic dream, IMO.

Are you thinking ahead to after the mid-terms where, hopefully, the Dems win control?

Picks HRC as VP

Pelosi then resigns...

HRC becomes prez

OMG that is delicious!

But at least it is a Constitutional a possible dream unlike some other half baked fantasies floating around

Assume tRump resigns and Pence ascends and needs to appoint a VP.

If the Democrats win both chambers, they could hold the line and demand that the only acceptable nominee for VP would be a Democrat. Not specified. Eventually Pence in desperation nominates a Democrat. That Democrat ascends to President as Pence is impeached / resigns. Said Democrat nominates HRC to VP and then when she is approved, resigns.

The Democrats would have leverage because if there is no approval, then with the VP spot vacant, a Pence resignation would mean the Democratic speaker would become President.

That the only scenario I see that bears any resemblance to the OP's fantasy. But it requires a certain sequence and having control of both houses and Pence being publicly implicated / shown to be complicit.

If you've been third in line for the presidency for years and all of a sudden you finally got your chance, why would you appoint someone else? I sure as hell wouldn't.

Realistically, of course, nothing like this is going to happen anyhow.

(Assuming Dems win control of House. )

Thus if Trump AND Pence go down, Hillary would be next in line to be President.

The GOPs in the Senate are going to vote to remove drumpf and Pence from office knowing that makes literally their most hated person on Earth President?

Nope.

They might remove drumpf, but Pence would remain.

The Dem's best bet to remove drumpf AND Pence is to make some rehtug as close to reasonable as possible the VP under pence. Maybe a Flake or Corker or Collins. With a dem congress the president would be effectively a lame duck until 2020

But there is NO actionable scenario where we come out of this with the White house AND Congress before 2021's swearing in.

So we are just free thinking here.