As US President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union speech today, one cabinet official was notably absent and stayed under a special security arrangement. The official was the "designated survivor."
During the speech, the President, Vice President, members of Congress and most cabinet members sit together inside the Capitol. But the designated survivor is not allowed to attend the event and is kept at a secure, undisclosed location.
This year's designated survivor was reportedly Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. He also held the role last year for Trump's joint address to Congress, according to Politico.
Who is a designated survivor?
A designated survivor is a cabinet official who remains in the direct line of presidential succession and is kept at a secure, undisclosed location during major government events, according to the National Constitution Center.
The measure is to ensure the continuity of government in the event of a disaster, attack or other unforeseen emergency that may incapacitate the President, Vice President and other elected officials gathered at the same venue.
To prevent that risk, one cabinet member is kept at an undisclosed location. If something unexpected happens and the President and others in line cannot serve, that official can step in so the government continues to function.
How is the designated survivor chosen?
There is no fixed rule in the Constitution about how the designated survivor is chosen. Usually, it is believed that the President or the President's Chief of Staff decides which cabinet member will stay away from the event and serve as the designated survivor.
The person selected must meet the basic requirements to become President under the Constitution, which means they must be a natural-born US citizen and at least 35 years old, according to Time.
Who was the first designated survivor?
The practice dates back to the 1950s, during the Cold War, when fears of nuclear attacks prompted the US government to adopt precautionary measures to protect the line of succession. The process was formalised in the 1980s under then-President Ronald Reagan.
Education Secretary Terrel Bell is widely cited as the first official to be formally designated under the system. Since then, a designated survivor has been named not only for State of the Union addresses but also for presidential inaugurations and joint sessions of Congress.
The designated survivor is not specifically mentioned in the US Constitution. However, the Constitution outlines the "line of succession" in Article II, Section 1, which was later clarified by the 20th Amendment.
