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State of the Union 2026: VA Secretary Doug Collins served as designated survivor

By WSBTV.com News Staff
President Trump Makes Announcement On Addiction Recovery Programs In Oval Office WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins looks on in the Oval Office at the White House on January 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to coordinate a federal government response to drug addiction. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
By WSBTV.com News Staff

Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins served as the designated survivor for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, according to multiple reports.

This is the second year in a row that Collins has been tapped for the role after Trump’s joint address to Congress last year.

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The designated survivor is generally a cabinet member in the presidential line of succession. The designated survivor is a person chosen to remain physically away from a large gathering that includes the president, vice president and other high-ranking members of the federal government in the case of a mass-casualty event.

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As per protocol, Collins stayed at an undisclosed location during Trump’s speech, which set a record for longest State of the Union address.

Collins previously served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia. He became VA secretary on Feb. 5, 2024 and is 17th in the presidential line of succession.

Here is the current presidential line of succession:

  1. Vice President JD Vance
  2. House Speaker Mike Johnson
  3. Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley
  4. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
  5. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
  6. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
  7. Attorney General Pamela Bondi
  8. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
  9. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins
  10. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
  11. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer
  12. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
  13. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner
  14. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
  15. Energy Secretary Chris Wright
  16. Education Secretary Linda McMahon
  17. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins
  18. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

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