When does Ford die exactly? If it's a month after he assumes the Vice Presidency, then Nixon will try to appoint someone. If he tries to impede the process in anyway and stick it out, then he'll get impeached and convicted and be removed from office. If there's no Vice President, then Speaker Carl Albert would assume the Presidency. Albert stated at the time that if he became President by succession that it would be in the national interest to resign immediately after the House and Senate had confirmed a Republican Vice President.