This letter was prepared for President Ronald Reagan to use to transfer power after the assassination attempt against him; but it was never signed and the transfer never happened.
Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment address situations involving the incapacitation of the President. This was the first time these provisions were considered for use.
Immediately after Reagan was shot outside a Washington hotel, the extent of his injuries wasn’t clear. As Reagan prepared for emergency surgery, his aides debated invoking Section 3 of the amendment, which calls for the Vice President to be Acting President until the President is able to resume his duties.
Aides drafted the paperwork for the transfer of power but some of them argued against invoking it. Reagan recovered quickly from the surgery, and he indicated that he could function as President while he healed under the care of his doctors.
