The State of the Union address is, of course, one of the most closely guarded events in the world. The speech has been designated a National Security Special Event, the highest protected status an event can have. There has been a heavy presence of law enforcement around the Capitol for several days, and security fencing has been erected around the building.
Still, what-if scenarios about designated survivors have captured people's imaginations and even inspired a television series.
Constitutionally, Vice President Harris will be the first to succeed Biden, followed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Senate President pro tempore Patty Murray (D-Washington). After them are the members of the presidential cabinet in the order in which their positions were created.
In 2022, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo becomes a designated survivor. Last year, it was then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.
“I didn't even know where I was going. …God forbid something happens, but it's too soon to think about it,” Walsh later told The Washington Post. “It's historic. I'm the first person in American history to be nominated as Secretary of Labor.”
Mr. Cardona has held numerous positions in the education field in his home state of Connecticut. He became a teacher, then a principal, and eventually served as state education commissioner.
Authorities have not said where he will watch the speech from.
