Resignation of Jay Leno (Napoleon's World)

On June 3rd, 2010, James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno became the first sitting President of the United States to resign from office. Having suffered two heart attacks since his second inauguration in January 2009 and having suffered four throughout his term in office, President Leno deemed that he was no longer fit to serve as Commander in Chief and announced on national television the eve of June 2nd that he would resign the next day, effective at 12:00 ET on June 3rd, 2010. The announcement came as an enormous surprise and was replayed on news stations throughout the night, where they merely expected Leno to assure the nation that he was recovering as expected from his May 29th heart attack.

Leno signed a simple form: "I hereby resign the office of the President of the United States" - and had it delivered to the US Attorney General. At noon, he left the White House, accompanied by his Vice President, Bruce Springsteen to the Marine One Helicopter, where the two men embraced before Leno and the First Lady boarded the helicopter and departed to Massachusetts.

Springsteen was sworn in ten minutes later in the White House Press Room, where he gave a brief inaugural address wishing Leno good health and a speedy recovery from his heart problems and promised to move forward.

While Leno's selfless move was quietly applauded on both sides of the aisle and the weeks following his resignation saw an upsurge in his popularity for stepping aside to allow an abler-bodied man serve to his full capacity, Springsteen's opinion polls have sagged due to his perceived disconnect with voters in a midterm election year and the National Party increased its margin of control in the House of Representatives and captured a majority in the Senate in the 2010 midterms.