‘Letter in drawer of Resolute Desk’: White House official Gorka on Trump succession instructions for Vance

WASHINGTON: White House official Sebastian Gorka on Wednesday (local time) revealed that US President Donald Trump has left detailed succession instructions for US Vice President J D Vance in the event of an assassination, according to a news report by The New York Post.

Gorka, who serves as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism, made the revelation during an interview on the “Pod Force One” podcast with Miranda Devine.

According to the New York Post, Gorka cast doubts that foreign countries would attempt to take out the president as Trump attends a high-stakes summit in Beijing, while emphasising that succession protocols are already in place. “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.

Sebastian Gorka reveals on ‘Pod Force One’ Trump left Vance succession instructions should he be assassinated https://t.co/VCHSeFHIVb pic.twitter.com/KaKtsO4Xjm

— New York Post (@nypost) May 13, 2026

Referring to Trump’s global stature, Gorka added, “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. The idea that you do something that undermines your recognition goes against what they wish to have,” he said.

Gorka also indicated that additional undisclosed contingency measures exist within the administration. “We have protocols, trust me. Not ones I can discuss, but we have protocols,” he added while referring to the reported letter.

Earlier, in an interview with NewsNation in January, Trump said he had issued “very firm instructions” in the event he were targeted by Iran. “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,” Trump said. “Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth,” he added.

Under the US Constitution, the vice president is first in line to assume the presidency. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 outlines the order of succession after the vice president, beginning with the Speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate, followed by eligible Cabinet officials.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Thursday participated in a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing as part of his two-day visit to the country. During the meeting, both leaders engaged in high-level discussions aimed at addressing key issues in US-China relations.

The bilateral meeting took place following an official welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, where Trump was formally welcomed by Xi, marking the beginning of a closely watched diplomatic meeting between the two leaders.

Earlier on April 25 (local time), a shooting took place at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, in Washington DC, where the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials were present.

The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen (31), allegedly breached a security checkpoint and fired shots before being subdued by security personnel. Authorities confirmed that the President and other key attendees were evacuated safely. One security officer sustained injuries during the response. (ANI)