13 May 2026 , 22:11
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President Donald Trump has instructions stored in the Oval Office for Vice President JD Vance should he ever need to succeed him as president, deputy assistant to the president Sebastian Gorka said in a recent podcast interview.
"There is a letter in the drawer in the Resolute Desk that is addressed to the vice president should something happen to him," Gorka said on the "Pod Force One" podcast on Wednesday.
Trump has faced repeated threats to his life, including an attempted assassination just weeks ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, raising concerns about the president’s safety and growing political violence from left-wing actors.
Gorka cast doubts that foreign countries would attempt to take out the president as Trump attends a high-stakes summit in Beijing.
"Everybody wants recognition from this man. This is the most powerful individual we have seen since the likes of Eisenhower. Right? This is a man everybody wants to be at the table with him, to have the state dinner, to have the recognition," said Gorka.
"The idea that you do something that undermines your recognition goes against what they wish to have."
"We have protocols, trust me. Not ones I can discuss, but we have protocols," he added about the letter.
A White House spokesperson pointed Fox News Digital to a recent Trump interview when asked for comment on Gorka’s remarks that such a letter exists.
Trump told NewsNation in January he has "very firm instructions" if he were to be taken out by the Iranian regime.
"Like, if I were here, and they were making that threat to somebody, even not even a president, but somebody like they did with me, I would absolutely hit them so hard," said Trump. "Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth."
Under the Constitution, the vice president is first in line to the presidency. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 sets the order after the vice president, beginning with the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore before moving through eligible Cabinet officials.
Technology & Business Editor