When a devastating attack on the night of the State of the Union address claims the lives of the president and most of the Cabinet, the housing and urban development secretary — who was named the designated survivor in case of such an event — finds himself promoted to leader of the free world.
Candidates must meet the two basic eligibility requirements for the presidency, which are being at least 35 years old and a natural-born US citizen.Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack was a designated survivor during President Barack Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address. In 2020, it was interior secretary David Bernhardt for President Donald Trump, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh for President Joe Biden in 2022 and 2023, respectively.