"The practice dates back to the Cold War when fears that a nuclear strike could wipe out the line of succession created a need to "maintain some element of constitutional legitimacy," Gerhard Peters, co-director of The American Presidency Project, told History.com."
"The designated survivor watches the speech from a secure, undisclosed location. Until 9/11, designated survivors had more freedom to choose where they'd go."
"Alberto Gonzales, former President George W. Bush's attorney general and the 2007 designated survivor, told the AP the role is "sort of sobering." "You wonder, 'Would I be up to governing a wounded nation?'" he said."
"Gonzales recalled arriving to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to find "members of every major department and agency" to accompany him, carrying thick binders stuffed with memos and protocol instructions, per the AP."
The designated survivor practice began during the Cold War to maintain constitutional legitimacy if a nuclear strike eliminated the presidential line of succession. The designated survivor must meet presidential eligibility requirements, which has historically disqualified foreign-born Cabinet members. During speeches, the survivor watches from a secure, undisclosed location with support staff carrying protocol instructions. The role carries significant responsibility, as survivors must be prepared to govern a potentially wounded nation. Cabinet members typically receive notification days before the speech and are offered location options. Previous designated survivors have included Interior, Energy, and Agriculture Secretaries during Trump's State of the Union addresses.
#designated-survivor #presidential-succession #cold-war-protocol #constitutional-continuity #state-of-the-union-security
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