In light of ABC's latest show-
Designated Survivor, I've put this together:
President Shaun Donovan
In the weeks leading up to newly elected President Obama's first State of the Union address increased violence in Yemen lead to a conference in London- to which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was invited. However, given that the conference would conflict with Obama's historic address, she sent Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns, in her stead, with the Secretary leaving afterwards to attend the remainder of the conference. The night before the State of the Union White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina selects Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, as the designated survivor. Donovan, 44 years old, born in New York City, and having resided in the US for the past 14 years, in eligible to be President, should anything befall the President and all other members of the cabinet.
The night of the State of the Union address, January 27, 2010, almost exactly 15 minutes into the address, a series of rippling explosions destroy the U.S. Capitol Building, killing everyone inside- including the President, Vice-President, all other Cabinet members, the Supreme Court, nearly all members of Congress including the Speaker, and President Pro Tempore, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Directors of various executive agencies.
Donovan's security escort evacuates from his undisclosed location to the White House, where he is sworn into office by Eric T. Washington, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. President Donovan is then placed into protection in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.