If the Capitol were to go up in flames during President Donald Trump's first address to Congress, and all accountable members of the legislative, judicial and executive branches with it, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin would become president.
Shulkin, the only holdover from the Obama administration on Trump's Cabinet, was the designated survivor Tuesday for such an extremely unlikely scenario.
The White House keeps the identity of the chosen Cabinet member a secret until the day of the event and the person's location remains a mystery until the all-clear.
The 45-pound briefcase, known as the "football," that carries the nation's nuclear launch codes stays with the designated survivor. Whoever is given the title has undergone training to step into the president's shoes in what would be an unprecedented crisis.
