US President Donald Trump has left a letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance in the drawer of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. The letter contains instructions in the event of an assassination attempt or emergency during his second term, White House deputy assistant Sebastian Gorka disclosed in a podcast interview on "Pod Force One" this week [1, 2].
Gorka said, "There is a letter in the drawer in the Resolute Desk that is addressed to the vice president should something happen to him," revealing the previously undisclosed document [1]. Trump has faced multiple security threats in recent years, including a July 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman shot him in the ear before being stopped by Secret Service [1]. Another incident occurred in April 2026 when a suspect fired a weapon at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and was subdued by security [1, 2].
Trump recently traveled to Beijing for high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The summit focused on trade, artificial intelligence, and geopolitical tensions [1]. Despite ongoing issues between the US and China, Gorka expressed confidence that no foreign power would attempt an attack during the visit. [1, 2]. He described Trump as "the most powerful individual we have seen since the likes of Eisenhower," adding, "Everybody wants recognition from this man." [2]
In a January 2026 interview, Trump said he has "very firm instructions" if targeted by hostile foreign actors such as Iran. He stated, "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. Anything happens, they're going to wipe them off the face of this earth." [2]
Under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, the vice president is first in line to assume the presidency, followed by the House Speaker, Senate President pro tempore, and Cabinet officials [2]. Trump’s letter to Vance presumably provides guidance on managing succession and continuity in case of an emergency.
The existence of the letter was publicly revealed after Trump's departure to China, with Gorka's podcast interview aired starting May 20, 2026 [1, 2]. The letter’s details and any subsequent actions remain undisclosed.
