--- title: State of the Union 2015: Anthony Foxx Designated Survivor description: In the event the worst happens during the State of the Union, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will become the next President. canonical: https://time.com/3675673/state-union-designated-survivor/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-21T00:35:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T03:43:57.693Z article:section: Politics og:title: The Designated Survivor at Tonight's State of the Union og:description: In the event the worst happens during the State of the Union, here's the next president. og:url: https://time.com/3675673/state-union-designated-survivor/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt73fe6220ac5425d5/69868ad6cd6848235009429b/transportation-secretary-anthony-foxx.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3600 og:image:height: 2025 og:image:alt: From left: Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Rail Systems in the U.S. listens to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at the Siemens Motors Manufacturing Plant in Norwood, Ohio, April 14, 2014. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Designated Survivor at Tonight's State of the Union twitter:description: In the event the worst happens during the State of the Union, here's the next president. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt73fe6220ac5425d5/69868ad6cd6848235009429b/transportation-secretary-anthony-foxx.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Designated Survivor at Tonight's State of the Union > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 21, 2015 12:35 AM UTC  From left: Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Rail Systems in the U.S. listens to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at the Siemens Motors Manufacturing Plant in Norwood, Ohio, April 14, 2014. From left: Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Rail Systems in the U.S. listens to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at the Siemens Motors Manufacturing Plant in Norwood, Ohio, April 14, 2014. Tom Uhlman—AP for Siemens by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 21, 2015 12:35 AM UTC In the event the worst happens during tonight’s State of the Union address, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will become the next President of the United States. The so-called “designated survivor,” Foxx will watch the address from a secure undisclosed location protected by the U.S. Secret Service, ready to take command should a catastrophe kill those in attendance at the annual address. As Secretary of Transportation, Foxx would usually be the 14th in the line of presidential succession, but gets a bump to 13th because Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell is a naturalized citizen. The designated survivor in 2014 was Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. Foxx’s selection comes as transportation and infrastructure have dropped from the list of administration priorities, as the Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on funding sources. The designated survivor tradition dates back to Cold War over fears of a nuclear attack wiping out the country’s political and military leadership. A low-level official is usually selected, so that recognizable Cabinet officers will be seen in audience shots during the president’s address. 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