What is a 'designated survivor'? What to know ahead of Trump's address to Congress
President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech Tuesday to a joint session of Congress for the first time in his second term as president. As part of the proceedings, a cabinet member is normally selected as a “designated survivor.”
A top government official is typically chosen as the designated survivor as a way to maintain the presidential line of succession in case of a catastrophic event where multiple officials in the line are unable to assume office.
The concept of a designated survivor has inspired intrigue and mystery for decades, even inspiring a show by the same name starring Keifer Sutherland.
With Trump’s address to Congress approaching, the person tasked to be the designated survivor has not been announced by the White House. The last person tasked with the role was the former Secretary of Education under former President Joe Biden, Miguel Cardona.
Here is what you need to know about the designated survivor.
What is the designated survivor?
The first time a designated survivor was named was in 1981, when Education Secretary Terrel Bel was tapped by former President Ronald Reagan.
But, according to the National Constitution Center, the practice of having a designated survivor stretches even farther back to the early days of the Cold War. The person chosen to fill the role usually falls to someone in the President’s cabinet.
The Secretary of the Interior is the most common secretary to serve as the designated survivor, being tapped seven times, according to The American Presidency Project. The Secretary of Agriculture has been the designated survivor six times.
How is the designated survivor chosen?
There is no set protocol for the choosing of the designated survivor.
Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for Barack Obama, told The Ringer that the Obama administration picked the designated survivor depending in part if that person's department has a role in the speech.
"Sometimes the designated survivor is chosen based on, 'are their programs or policies going to be a highlight of the State of the Union?'" Favreau said.
Who has Trump chosen to be the ‘designated survivor’?
Although this is Trump’s first address in his second term, he did designate survivors in four other addresses to Congress during his first term.
- 2017: Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin
- 2018: Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
- 2019: Secretary of Energy Rick Perry
- 2020: Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt
What time is the 2025 Trump address to Congress?
Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4.
Multiple media outlets have announced plans to start live coverage of the address at 9 p.m. ET, including Paste BN, ABC, Fox News, NPR, PBS and more.
Contributing: James Powel
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.