The USA ready for the "worst-case scenario"; A secret location designated: "In the event of Trump's death..."

The reason for this is a phenomenon known as the “designated survivor,” introduced into this event during the Cold War.

One person from the current Cabinet will follow the speech from an undisclosed and fully secure location. The reason is the possibility that everyone in the line of succession to the presidency of the United States could lose their lives in a single location.

Under the U.S. Constitution, in the event of Donald Trump’s death, the position would be assumed by his vice president, J. D. Vance. Next in the line of succession are the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, the President pro tempore of the Senate, Chuck Grassley, and then members of the Cabinet, beginning with the Secretary of State.

During the Cold War, the practice was established that someone from this line of succession would be kept at an undisclosed location so that, in the event of a nuclear attack by the former Soviet Union and the deaths of the president and his associates, the United States would still have a leader.

It is still unknown who will serve as the “designated survivor” this year. During his first term, Trump rotated several Cabinet members through the role over four addresses.

Location chosen by U.S. security services

Interestingly, in 2021, then–U.S. President Joe Biden did not have a single designated survivor; instead, several people followed the address outside Congress due to various rules brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is also worth noting that before the September 11, 2001 attacks, the selected individual had almost complete freedom to choose where they would watch the speech. Since 2002, however, that decision has been made exclusively by U.S. security services.

In 2007, serving as U.S. Attorney General under President George W. Bush (seventh in the line of succession), Alberto Gonzales watched the address outside Congress and told the Associated Press that the experience was quite sobering.

“You ask yourself: Am I going to be the next president?” Gonzales told the AP.

He also said he vividly remembers going to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland with several people from each major government agency, carrying “briefcases full” of documents and protocols that would be activated in the event of the “worst-case scenario”.