When President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, one of his Cabinet officials will be absent. As yet unnamed, that official will be sequestered away at the Mount Weather complex in Virginia as the "designated survivor." If the worst happens — it probably won't — that person will be sworn in as president. Select members of Congress from each party will also be absent, their contingency role being to provide new congressional leadership.
Yet while public attention invariably focuses on the identity of each year's designated survivor, less focus is given to the various government and military officials who join the designated survivor. They'll also be at Mount Weather, about an hour's drive from Washington, D.C. But unlike in the "Designated Survivor" TV show, these officials are carefully selected for their high-level security clearances, experience with presidential operations, and crisis management skills.
STATE OF THE UNION 2023: WHY IS A DESIGNATED SURVIVOR CHOSEN — AND WHO HAS IT BEEN IN THE PAST?
This emergency A-team, if you will, includes a roster of Secret Service agents from the Presidential Protective Division, normally assigned to protect the first family. Assigning these agents to the designated survivor, versus agents from various field offices or other dignitary protective units, the Secret Service ensures that those protecting the designated survivor know the unique ins and outs of presidential protection. This is particularly important due to "need to know" highly classified programs associated with presidential operations and continuity of government. Reflecting the concern that an attack on the Capitol might join to an attack against the designated survivor, there is also a Secret Service Counter Assault Team/FBI Hostage Rescue Team/military special operations forces element attached to the designated survivor.
Next up, the military.
This includes personnel from the White House Medical Unit and the White House Communications Agency. Again, the logic behind this provision is to mitigate the risk of additional confusion, likely already in abundance, following a catastrophic attack on the Capitol. The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is also likely to join the designated survivor. The other vice chiefs of staff of the various service branches can then join the new chair in forming a new Joint Chiefs of Staff. On paper, this means the military should be able to operate as well in the hours following a catastrophic attack as it did in the hours preceding it.
This extensive and expensive deployment of resources matters for one reason above else: the nuclear factor.
A nuclear attack is viewed as a top threat consideration in terms of any successful decapitation strike targeting the State of the Union. Nuclear threat actors know that the near entirety of the U.S. government will be at the Capitol at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. At least on paper, they have the target location and the optimal time to launch a first strike attack. In turn, there's an obvious need for the designated survivor — turned successor president — to be able to launch a rapid counterforce nuclear strike. Speed might be the key to preventing a follow-on attack from the enemy. It's for this reason that a military aide possessing the nuclear "football" or nuclear command and control computer is also present at Mount Weather.
Top line: While the designated survivor is given a cursory briefing on what to expect should the worst happen, those around him or her are selected for their ability to ensure that the government can survive and respond to the crisis with maximal efficiency.