Doug Collins, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, is reportedly serving as the designated survivor during President Donald Trump's joint congressional address on Tuesday night. The designated survivor is a person in the presidential line of succession—often a low-level Cabinet member—chosen to be kept separate from other executive branch officials when the government is all gathered in one place in the event of a catastrophic event.

With members of the presidential line of succession in the Capitol for President Trump's speech to the joint session of Congress, a designated survivor will be named to stay away in case of a catastrophic event.