Donald Trump and Melania Trump Have Tested Positive For Covid-19

Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he has tested positive for Coronavirus.

I'll take some time to collect my thoughts, but obviously this race has completely changed.

I'm sure there are going to be strong opinions on both sides. I've already brought up in the mod chat the possibility of setting requirements for how we can discuss this. For now, I will say that to be on the safe side, you should avoid taking joy in a person contracting a life threatening disease or wishing for death of another individual. That is NOT the official stance of the moderation team, but you surely won't get in trouble following that advice. 

I know that if the President were to die, the vice president were to take over. But what would then happen to the the vice president's post? Will that one stay vacant until a new running mate had been chosen?

Nobody.

If Pence becomes president, and the VP position becomes open, then he is to nominate a new VP who needs confirmation from both houses of congress. The house ain't confirming no one.

Also, 

Don't remember, did Joe and Don shake hands and speak in close proximity at the debate (without masks, no less)? Hope he doesn't come down with it too. This is a huge variable with potentially massive ramifications.

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2020-09-29/no-handshake-at-start-of-first-trump-biden-presidential-debate-in-age-of-coronavirus

They did not.

Thanks, that's a small comfort. Not relaxing til the fat lady sings, though.

There was at least 10 feet between them. Obviously this is a pandemic, and nobody is truly safe, but it's unlikely he contracted it from Trump.

Biden has been accused by the Trump campaign of being in his bunker. Hidin' Biden. He seems to have been very careful.

Well, they do say that singing and yelling are some of the best ways to spread the virus and Trump did two hours of that at the debate. Biden definitely seems to be the physically healthier of the two, but it would be a cruel, cruel twist of fate if he actually ended up as the one to fall to the virus and 2020 has been merciless. Nothing to do but wait and pray, I guess. 

We'll see, but from what I've read it seems unlikely. Hicks was symptomatic, asymptomatic spread is more rare. They weren't that close, and Trump probably had a low viral load, if he had the virus at the time. 

Don't know if anyone knows this, but can Trump nominate a justice while in quarantine?

Edit: Also keep in mind, Trump says that everyone at the debate was tested. While I don't trust what Trump says, it seems likely that would have been procedure. So, his viral load, if he had it, it was at a low level. 

There are often formalities. For instance, the president may have to actually do the nomination in the Senate. I don't know how the process works. But there are a lot of weird procedural rules that may be implicated.