Trump’s 2025 joint address to Congress: Who is this year’s designated survivor and what it means

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins has been selected as the designated survivor for President Donald Trump’s 2025 joint address to Congress, White House sources confirmed shortly before the speech on Tuesday night.
The tradition of appointing a designated survivor ensures continuity of government in the event of a catastrophic incident during the address, which is attended by the president, vice president, and the full line of succession. Collins, a former representative from Georgia, was confirmed as VA Secretary on February 4 and is 17th in the presidential line of succession.

What is a designated survivor?

A designated survivor is a cabinet member chosen to remain at a secure, undisclosed location during the address. This precaution ensures that a government leader remains available to take charge if an emergency incapacitates those in attendance.
While the US Constitution establishes the line of succession, the modern order was set by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. Vice President JD Vance is first in line, followed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The list continues through other cabinet members, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem being 18th.
Since nearly all these officials attend the joint session, a designated survivor is selected to stay away.

Origins of the tradition

The practice of appointing a designated survivor is believed to have started during the Cold War in the 1950s, though it was first officially recorded in 1981 when Education Secretary Terrel Bell was given the role.
The selection process remains classified, but the individual must meet presidential eligibility criteria: being a natural-born US citizen and at least 35 years old. Some past cabinet members, such as former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, were ineligible due to being born outside the US
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, designated in 1996 under President Bill Clinton, recalled her experience, saying, “I was shown the Situation Room and the White House staff talked seriously about the responsibility of the designated survivor.”

What happens during the speech?

Past designated survivors have shared their experiences, revealing they are accompanied by security personnel, including a military officer carrying the “nuclear football.”
Former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, who was chosen in 2000, described his experience, saying, “It’s fun. You’re sitting there, you’re being watched. You got security. And there are a few thrills.”
Former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, who was designated in the 1990s, recalled in a 2017 Politico essay that he was taken to a secure location outside Washington. He wrote, “I don’t recall getting any specific instructions on what to do if the doomsday scenario happened… All I knew is that if necessary, I could turn to that military officer accompanying me, holding that 45-pound bag, and trigger a military response, including a nuclear strike.”
Shalala, who remained in Washington during her time as designated survivor, recalled waiting at the White House and ordering pizza for her staff. “I saw the president when he left and when he came back,” she said. “He said, ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’”

Recent designated survivors

Typically, cabinet members from various departments have been selected for the role, though Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury have never been chosen.

Here are the designated survivors from recent years:

With Collins now assuming the role for 2025, the longstanding tradition continues as the Trump administration ensures the government’s continuity during this high-profile address.