Final answer:
The next in line to become President if both the President and Vice President are removed is the Speaker of the House, followed by the President pro tempore of the Senate and Cabinet members in the order of their departments' creation. Option d is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
If both the President and Vice President of the United States are removed from office, the next in line to become the President according to the Presidential line of succession is the Speaker of the House. The Vice President would normally take over if the President were removed, but if both offices were vacated, the Speaker of the House is next in line. This order is established by the United States Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act.
The line of succession continues with the President pro tempore of the Senate, followed by Cabinet members, starting with the Secretary of State, in the order that their departments were created. The specific order of succession after the President pro tempore of the Senate is: Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, and then the remaining Cabinet Secretaries.
In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the duties of office, the Constitution and the 25th Amendment outline the process by which the Vice President and then other officials may assume the role of the acting President or President.