What Happens If Trump Refuses The Presidency

After a long and emotionally draining campaign season, Donald Trump is officially the president-elect. Let's just say that not everyone is happy with the results. For anyone out there thinking that if Trump decides he doesn't want to be president it will ultimately be better for those who opposed him, you might not be thrilled by what that would actually mean. If he refuses to serve the country, there are other people in line for the title — some of whom aren't that much of a departure from Trump himself.

To put it simply, the results of the 2016 Presidential Election have rocked the country. The hashtag #NotMyPresident has gone viral, Canada's immigration website crashed, and people are picturing a lot of "what-if" scenarios. One of them is that Trump could just refuse to be president all together.

According to the New York Times, Trump has thrown around the idea of quitting if he was elected before. Elected officials can freely leave office at any time, so it's entirely possibly that he could bow out.

If that were to happen, it still won't put Clinton anywhere near the presidency. According to CNN, the next person in line would be Vice President-Elect Mike Pence. As for the other options, Article 2, Section 1, Clause 6 of the Constitution of the United States details exactly who would become president if the others turn away from the job. Here's who would follow Trump.

1. Mike Pence

Like I said earlier, first up would be Mike Pence, the vice president-elect. Considering that he holds several anti-LGBT and anti-women's rights beliefs, it would still be a scary prospect for those who disagree with many of Trumps ideals.

2. Paul Ryan

As Speaker of the House, Ryan would be next up for the job, if Pence decides not to serve. He didn't initially support Trump, although he eventually wound up endorsing the Republican nominee.

3. Orrin Hatch

Next in line is Senate President Pro Tempore Hatch. According to On The Issues, he's pro-life, against gay marriage, and supports prayer in schools.

After these three men comes the cabinet members, who will all change as Trump takes office. So, perhaps we should be rooting for Trump to stick around — at least through January.