President. (That provision exists specifically for situations  like this.) However, a deleted scene between Danny Concannon and Leo  McGarry clears this up later. Danny and Leo agree that they "did not  want to invoke the 25th", meaning that they preferred to not go  through the necessary measures to remove the president from power  for the three hours that he was under anesthesia. This deleted scene  can be found amongst the extras included on the DVDs of the second  season.