What happens if a US president dies in office as Trump death rumours spread

It has happened eight times before

A President dying while in office has only happened eight times in the 248-year history of the United States.

Four of those deaths were due to natural causes, and four were by assassination. Whichever the case, there is never a doubt regarding the line of succession.

Most recently, it was John F. Kennedy, who was shot and killed in November 1963 during a motorcade in Texas.

Following Kennedy's assassination, a vital Constitutional Amendment was adopted in 1967, making the process following the President's death more straightforward.

The 25th Amendment reads: "The Vice President shall become President if the President is removed from office, dies, or resigns."

However, the process of alerting the public, planning funeral arrangements and dealing with the aftermath of it all remains a massive undertaking.

So, what's the process?

If the President dies, the first person alerted would be the Vice President, who is next in line to succeed them.

After that, the public will be told, and flags will be lowered to half-staff for at least 30 days.

If the President doesn't die in Washington, DC, the casket will be transported back to DC as soon as possible.

The President's coffin will be draped in the American flag, while it will likely lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, where the public can pay their respects.

Even though the President is a governmental employee, his funeral will be planned by their own family.

However, the funeral varies between US leaders. Some last for three days, some even up to seven.

The service itself is a major event. It will be televised internationally, as world leaders gather to pay their respects.

During the ceremony, a 50-gun salute, representing the 50 states, is carried out. Presidents can choose where they want to be buried beforehand, however, a popular choice is Arlington Cemetery, where 400,000 former service people and politicians are buried.

The next in line is the Vice-President. The then-former VP will have to nominate a new Vice President, who must be confirmed by a majority vote in both houses of Congress.

If, for any reason, they are unable to serve, the role goes to the Speaker of the House.

From there the line goes as follows: the President of the Senate, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defence, Attorney General, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and then Secretary of Homeland Security.