Who was the designated survivor for President Trump’s State of the Union, and who served for Democrats?
When President Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026, one Cabinet member did not attend because they were serving as the designated survivor—an official chosen to be absent so the government’s line of succession remains intact if a catastrophe occurs. The question of who held that role matters because the practice is a core part of continuity planning for high-risk events.
Who served: Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins served as the designated survivor for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Collins did not attend the joint session of Congress; he was escorted to a secure, undisclosed location for the duration of the address. Collins was also tasked with the role last year, and when Trump gave his joint congressional address last March Collins served as the designated survivor then as well. The designated survivor for the President appeared to be Collins on Tuesday evening.
How the designated survivor role fits the line of succession
The designated survivor is an official in the presidential line of succession who is selected to skip functions that convene the federal government in one place—the State of the Union, inaugurations, or the President’s joint congressional address. That person is kept in a secure, undisclosed location away from the area so that the full government would not be wiped out if a catastrophic event were to occur. Under the Presidential Succession Act, if those ahead in the line of succession were killed or incapacitated, the designated survivor—provided they meet constitutional requirements—could be sworn in as president.
Legal and practical limits: eligibility and selection
The U. S. Constitution does not require a designated survivor or explicitly mention the process of selecting and sequestering one. The designated survivor must be eligible under the Constitution to serve as president, meaning they must be a natural-born American citizen and at least 35 years of age. There is no official process or protocol for how the designated survivor should be chosen; it is believed that the President and/or the President’s Chief of Staff typically select the individual.
Congressional picks and the Democrats’ choice of Mike Thompson
Congressional leaders have begun selecting lawmakers to serve as designated survivors in recent years. Some trace that practice to the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Those lawmakers chosen by congressional leaders are not tapped to potentially succeed the President but are selected to make sure the legislative branch could continue functioning in the event of a catastrophic incident. California Rep. Mike Thompson announced on Monday that he was chosen by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to serve as the Democrats’ designated survivor for the State of the Union address on Tuesday. Thompson said he would still be watching the address from a secure, undisclosed location. Democrats have tapped Thompson to serve as a designated survivor each year since 2020, Thompson’s communications director, Lauren Ott, said.
Why the role persists in contemporary security planning
The designated survivor role is part of the federal government’s continuity-of-government planning—a framework designed to ensure that constitutional leadership and core operations can continue if a catastrophic attack or disaster were to incapacitate officials gathered at the Capitol. The State of the Union presents a unique security concern because it brings together the president, vice president, members of Congress, the Supreme Court and much of the Cabinet in a single location. While the designated survivor has never been called upon to assume the presidency, the role remains a visible symbol of the extensive security and contingency planning surrounding major national events. The identity of the designated survivor is typically made public on the day of the speech after the individual has been safely relocated.
