One of President Donald Trump's Cabinet members will skip Tuesday night's State of the Union address, serving instead as the designated survivor — the official positioned to assume the presidency in the event of a catastrophic attack on the Capitol.
While the concept may sound like something out of a Hollywood political thriller, the designated survivor is a very real and long-standing safeguard designed to protect the continuity of the federal government.
The precaution reportedly dates back to the Cold War, when fears of a nuclear strike raised concerns that gathering the nation's top leaders in one location could devastate the line of succession.
The White House has not publicly identified this year's designated survivor. However, the Cabinet member absent from Trump's address will effectively reveal the selection.
The practice was created to "maintain some element of constitutional legitimacy," Gerhard Peters, co-director of "The American Presidency Project," told History.com, referring to concerns that an attack could wipe out senior leadership.
To qualify, a designated survivor must meet the constitutional requirements to serve as president — meaning some foreign-born Cabinet members have been ineligible in the past.
During Trump's previous State of the Union addresses, his interior secretary, energy secretary, and agriculture secretary have each taken a turn in the role.
In 2021, there was no official designated survivor for former President Joe Biden's joint address to Congress, as multiple Cabinet members did not attend due to COVID-19 precautions.
The designated survivor typically watches the speech from a secure, undisclosed location under tight security. Before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, officials had more flexibility in selecting where they would remain during the address.
Alberto Gonzales, who served as attorney general under President George W. Bush and was the designated survivor in 2007, described the assignment as "sort of sobering."
"You wonder, Would I be up to governing a wounded nation?" he said, as reported by The Associated Press.
According to the outlet, which interviewed designated survivors from the past two decades, Cabinet members are generally notified just days before the speech and presented with location options.
Gonzales recalled arriving at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to find "members of every major department and agency" assigned to assist him, armed with thick binders filled with memos and protocol instructions, the AP reported.
In recent years, "some members of Congress also have been designated to skip the State of the Union as a precaution," according to the National Constitution Center.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., is the only lawmaker publicly identified as a designated survivor for this year's speech. Thompson said Monday he was selected by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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