The chamber was packed for President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address.
Inside the chamber were Cabinet officials, lawmakers, generals, Supreme Court Justices, war veterans, the U.S. Men’s hockey team, and many more.
However, one member of Trump’s Cabinet was missing: Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins.
Collins was not at the Capitol but was instead at an undisclosed location due to being selected as the White House’s designated survivor.
Report: Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins is the Designated Survivor for tonight pic.twitter.com/iwFiQQ3JCr
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) February 25, 2026
Per The Independent:
The “designated survivor” for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight has been revealed — and it’s a familiar face in that role.
The Cabinet member serving as this year’s designated survivor will be Doug Collins, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, according to CNN. Collins was previously tapped for this role during Trump’s last joint session of Congress in March 2025.
The term designated survivor refers to a person in the presidential line of succession who is chosen to stay away from the State of the Union address — which is typically attended by all Cabinet officials.
This precaution ensures that if a catastrophic event occurs, someone remains to lead the executive branch.
The designated survivor role was born in the 1950s during the Cold War.
The practice began out of concern that a nuclear attack directed at the Capitol during the State of the Union could eliminate the presidential line of succession.
The House Democrats selected their own designated survivor, Rep. Mike Thompson of California.
Thompson’s role is to preserve Democrat congressional leadership in the event of a catastrophic emergency.
READ:
Democrats Select Their “Designated Survivor” for State of the Union Address
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