WASHINGTON — Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins served as the designated survivor during President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
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.
The designated survivor is generally a cabinet member in the presidential line of succession.
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As per protocol, Collins stayed at an undisclosed location during Trump’s speech. Collins, who previously served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia, became VA secretary on Feb. 5 and is 17th in the presidential line of succession.
Here is the current presidential line of succession:
- Vice President JD Vance
- House Speaker Mike Johnson
- Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
- Attorney General Pamela Bondi
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
- Labor Secretary (Nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer has not been confirmed yet)
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
- Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright
- Education Secretary Linda McMahon
- Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
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