Designated survivor: the person chosen to assume the US presidency if the entire government dies

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, on February 6, 2026 REUTERS/Ken Cedeno In every speech that brings together the entire US government leadership, one person is chosen not to participate in the meeting and be the designated survivor if a catastrophe happens. ✅ Click here to follow the g1 news channel on Whatsapp This Tuesday (24), Donald Trump delivers the traditional “State of the Union Address” — an annual speech in Congress, in which the president talks about his government priorities. In addition to Trump and congressmen, almost all senior members of the government will be at the Capitol — the seat of the US Legislature, in Washington — at the time of the speech. Almost all of them, because one of them is left out of the speech and also from Washington to fulfill one of the most intriguing functions of the US government: that of the designated survivor, a figure created in the Cold War who assumes nothing less than the presidency of the greatest world power in the event of a catastrophe or a terrorist attack that kills all authorities. To date, an event of this proportion has only happened in fiction: in the series “Designated Survivor” (2016), starring Kiefer Sutherland. But every year, a different name is chosen for the role. Understand, below, how the choice of the designated survivor works and how the position was created: Line of succession Every year, a member of the Executive’s leadership is chosen to be absent from presidential speeches that involve all members of the US government — such as the annual State of the Union speeches, for example — to guarantee the continuity of the government in the event of a tragedy. Trump’s speech this Tuesday (24) will be no different. As the vice president and presidents of the legislative houses are always present at the event, the designated survivor is usually chosen from among the lowest positions in the line of succession. The designated survivor is then taken outside the capital to a secret location, under heavy protection, where they remain throughout the night. In the US, the presidential line of succession extends through a series of more than a dozen names. The tradition of choosing a designated survivor began in the 1950s and dates back to the Cold War between the United States and the then Soviet Union. In the event of the death or incapacity of the president, the vice-president takes over – in the USA, the vice-president also holds the position of president of the Senate, despite not being a senator. Number two in the line of succession is the President of the Chamber of Deputies, followed by the “pro tempore” president of the Senate (a senator chosen by the House who assumes its leadership in the event of the vice-president’s absence). Next come the Executive secretaries: first the Secretary of State, followed by the Secretary of the Treasury, Defense, Attorney General, Interior, etc. The identity of the designated survivor was only made public in the 1980s. Since then, the highest ranking person to be chosen for the role has been the Advocate General, seventh in the line of succession. See the videos that are trending on g1 Fascination For American historian Garrett Graff, the concept of the designated survivor has long captivated people because it combines the public’s inherent fascination with the danger and romance of an “everyman” being thrust into the presidency. “The idea that you’re just a random cabinet official and then something terrible happens and suddenly you’re the president of the United States,” Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die,” told The Associated Press.

Source link