U.S. President Donald Trump is keeping a secret letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office in case of an emergency, according to reports. Concerns over presidential security and the line of succession have grown amid a series of recent assassination threats and shooting incidents.
According to Fox News on Tuesday, Sebastian Gorka, former deputy assistant to the president for the National Security Council (NSC), said on the podcast "Pod Force One" that "President Trump has left a letter for Vice President Vance in case of any contingency."
Gorka explained that the letter is stored inside the "Resolute Desk" in the Oval Office. Under the U.S. Constitution, the vice president is first in line to succeed the president if the president becomes unable to perform the duties of office.
The White House has neither directly confirmed nor denied the report. However, a spokesperson asked reporters to refer to remarks Trump made in a NewsNation interview last January.
At the time, Trump mentioned the possibility of an Iranian assassination attempt, warning, "I've already given very strong instructions," and "If something happens to me, they will be completely wiped off the face of the Earth."
Trump has been exposed to multiple threats to his personal safety in recent times. In particular, observers say security concerns have intensified as anti-Trump sentiment has grown both inside and outside the United States since the outbreak of the war with Iran in February.
On October 25, gunman Cole Thomas Allen was subdued at the entrance of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner venue while attempting to enter. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the possibility that the U.S. attack on Iran may have influenced his motive for the crime.
Trump also experienced an actual assassination attempt during a presidential campaign rally last year. During the shooting incident at a campaign rally in July 2024, a bullet grazed his right ear, and Trump narrowly escaped with his life.
In September of the same year, an armed man hiding in the bushes near Trump National Golf Club in Florida was apprehended. A rifle was found at the scene, and investigations found that the suspect had been targeting Trump.
