US summit talks about 'designated survivor' ahead of attack at Correspondents' Dinner. White House explanations
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that US officials had discussed the designation of a “survivor” and the line of succession to the leadership of the United States before the annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner, which took place this weekend and was targeted by a gun attack.
The phrase “designated survivor” refers to a cabinet member nominated not to go to a particular event, such as the State of the Union address, and to remain in an undisclosed location to ensure continuity of government and in the event that the president and other top officials are killed in a catastrophe.
A man opened fire on Saturday evening at the event in the Washington Hilton hotel, where US President Donald Trump and other officials, including Karoline Leavitt, were present.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, told law enforcement after his arrest that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials, according to CBS News sources.
Along with Trump, other top US officials such as Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, all part of the so-called line of succession, attended the annual WHCA dinner.
The exception was Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is president pro tempore, or pro tempore, of the US Senate, a position that is also part of the line of succession and is held by the highest-ranking senator from the majority party.
White House Explains Why 'Survivor Designation Was Not Necessary'
The incident at the WHCA event fueled concerns about the security of senior officials, and there were voices questioning whether a designated survivor had been named.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Karoline Leavitt said the topic was broached before Saturday night's event.
“Those conversations before the WHCA dinner took place, but there were several members of the Cabinet in the line of succession who did not attend for various personal reasons. So the designation of a survivor was not necessary because there are several members who were already missing,” the White House press secretary explained.
