When President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were in flight on separate airplanes Tuesday night, House Speaker John Boehner was the highest-ranking elected official on American soil for about half an hour.

Should something have gone terribly wrong in that short span of time, Boehner, who's behind only the vice president in the presidential line of succession, could have potentially become president.

But the House speaker brushed off the hypothetical talk during in an interview with CNN chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper on "The Lead."

"That's why I say prayers for President Obama and Vice President Biden every day," he continued.

"You don't want to be the president?" Tapper asked.

"I don't want to be president. This is not anything I've ever thought about," Boehner responded.

Tapper then asked if Boehner did anything in those 20 minutes when the officials were in the air. Like, require everyone to listen to polka, for example.

"No, nothing," Boehner said, with a slight smile. "Just kept my eyes focused on the job."