und damit rückte nach seinem "Ausfall" sofort der Vizepräsident nach. Ähnlich auch Ford nach dem Rücktritt von Nixon. Das ist völlig unstrittig.

Meine Anmerkung bezog sich darauf, dass dieser Automatismus bei einem president-elect, also einem Wahlsieger, der noch nicht am "Inauguration Day" eingeschworen wurde, so nicht besteht. Da ist es etwas komplizierter und hängt auch davon ab, wann genau zwischen Wahlende und Vereidigungstermin der Anwärter verstirbt.

Dazu die "Allwissende Müllhalde" (Begrifflichkeit bei Danisch geklaut ):

Scholars have noted that the national committees of the Democratic and Republican parties have adopted rules for selecting replacement candidates in the event of a nominee's death, either before or after the general election. If the apparent winner of the general election dies before the Electoral College votes in December the electors would likely be expected to endorse whatever new nominee their national party selects as a replacement. The rules of both major parties stipulate that if the apparent winner dies under such circumstances and his or her running mate is still able to assume the presidency, then the running mate is to become the President-elect with the electors being directed to vote for the former Vice Presidential nominee for President. The party's National Committee, in consultation with the new President-elect, would then select a replacement to receive the erstwhile Vice Presidential nominee's electoral votes for Vice President.

If the apparent winner dies between the College's December vote and its counting in Congress in January, the Twelfth Amendment stipulates that all electoral ballots cast shall be counted, presumably even those for a dead candidate. The U.S. House committee reporting on the proposed Twentieth Amendment said the "Congress would have 'no discretion' [and] 'would declare that the deceased candidate had received a majority of the votes.'

The Constitution did not originally include the term president-elect. The term was introduced through the Twentieth Amendment, ratified in 1933, which contained a provision addressing the unavailability of the president-elect to take the oath of office on Inauguration Day.[1] Section 3 provides that if there is no president-elect on January 20, or the president-elect "fails to qualify", the vice president–elect would become acting president on January 20 until there is a qualified president. The section also provides that if the president-elect dies before noon on January 20, the vice president–elect becomes president-elect. In cases where there is no president-elect or vice president–elect, the amendment also gives the Congress the authority to declare an acting president until such time as there is a president or vice president. At this point the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 would apply, with the office of the Presidency going to the speaker of the House of Representatives, followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate and various Cabinet officers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President-elect_of_the_United_States