Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins is this year’s designated survivor, according to a White House official, retreating from Washington to an undisclosed location during President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening.

There is one notable absence in the House chamber on Tuesday night for President Trump’s joint address: Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. Collins, a former congressman from Georgia, is the “designated survivor,

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doesn’t carry the same sway at home with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, as he does at the Capitol. And with good reason. The Curb Your Enthusiasm star has given her 71-year-old husband a “strict ultimatum” to relocate her to Washington D.

As part of DOGE, Veterans Affairs will lay off more than 70,000 staff, as discussed by Sec. Doug Collins from Georgia. Here's what we know about him.

Douglas Collins, a former congressman and Air Force Reserve chaplain, has been confirmed as the 12th U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Donald Trump’s administration. At 58, Collins brings a mix of legislative experience and military service to the role.