California Rep. Mike Thompson named House Dems "designated survivor" for Trump address to Congress
Northern California Rep. Mike Thompson has been selected by House Democrats as their "designated survivor" ahead of President Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday night.
In a statement hours before the speech, Thompson said he was selected by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Thompson represents the 4th Congressional District, which includes all of Napa County and Lake County, along with portions of Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
Thompson said he would watch the speech from an undisclosed location.
"Tonight, I hope to hear real answers and accountability from the President," the lawmaker said.
Thompson criticized numerous actions Mr. Trump has taken since he took office six weeks ago, including the freezing of federal funds, firings of civil servants, along with attempts to end birthright citizenship, saying he is ignoring "kitchen table issues" important to American families.
"None of these actions are lowering grocery prices, rent, or the cost of living for hardworking Americans," he said.
His guest for the speech, Dr. Amy Herold of the Providence Health System in Napa, will attend the address in person at the U.S. Capitol. Herold is the health system's Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Medical Officer.
The designated survivor is an informal name of a person in the line of succession who does not attend the joint session of Congress so that there is a leader that could step up if a catastrophic event took place. The practice has reportedly dated back to the Cold War.
For the presidency, the modern line of succession dates back to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. Vice President JD Vance is first in line for the presidency, followed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate pro temprore Chuck Grassley and members of the cabinet, starting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Trump administration has not revealed who would be the designated survivor for the president as of Tuesday afternoon.
