Designated survivor: The person who will lead America if tragedy hits the State of the Union

Most eyes in Capitol Hill will be on Joe Biden’s during the president’s State of the Union address—but one person is guaranteed to miss it.

Known as the “designated survivor,” the role is performed by a member of the president’s office who is required to sit out the State of the Union, which the president gives from the United States Capitol .

Most people in the order of presidential succession find themselves in the same place at the same time during the speech. The designated survivor—who must remain in a different location—is a way to ensure the continuity of power should a calamity strike the Capitol.

Think of it as the US’s version of King Charles and Prince William not being allowed on the same plane.

The identity of tonight’s designated survivor hasn’t been revealed yet, though that responsibility typically falls to a cabinet member.

Last year’s designated survivor was Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. In 2022, that role was filled by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara has published a list of past designated survivors dating back to 1984, during Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

Sometimes a global pandemic changes things — there was no designated survivor in 2021 because those who would usually have attended the address in person joined it remotely.

The official presidential order of succession includes 18 people: the vice president, the speaker of the House, the president pro tempore of the Senate, 14 secretaries, and the attorney general. The designated survivor is typically chosen among the secretaries and the attorney general.

President Joe Biden

The practice of picking a designated survivor is thought to date back to the Cold War, specifically the late 1950s—though