Energy Secretary Rick Perry is the designated survivor

Catherine Garcia, The Week US's avatar
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Rick Perry.
(Image credit: Safin Hamed/AFP/Getty Images)

During every State of the Union address, one member of the president's Cabinet serves as the designated survivor, staying away from the Capitol should disaster strike inside the House chamber, and this year, it is Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

An administration official confirmed to CNN that Perry is at an undisclosed location, and will remain there while President Trump gives his address. Perry is a former governor of Texas and Dancing with the Stars contestant, as well as 14th in the presidential line of succession.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.