President Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony on Monday was the largest and most complex inauguration in U.S. history.
The nation's capital transformed seemingly overnight from a walkable city into a formidable, impenetrable fortress — the result of a multi-agency task force erecting 30 miles of scale-resistant fencing, coordinating aerial surveillance and unmanned aerial vehicles aircraft, and deployed tens of thousands of law enforcement officers, military personnel, undercover agents and National Guard trucks in Washington, D.C.
The security efforts across the government on Inauguration Day were unprecedented and impressive, and not without reason: Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, one of which involved a gunman who got too close to him. As for cutting his ear. The domestic threat landscape was further heightened by the terrorist attacks in New Orleans late last year and the execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan.
Notably, this year's massive security footprint does not explicitly include the designation of what is considered a key component of the foundation of the American tradition: Designated Survivor.
There is a fencing ring in front of the U.S. Capitol. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
In Washington, D.C., the Secret Service and many other federal agencies orchestrated a tightly coordinated federal protection effort well before Trump's inauguration.
This is both a nod to recent security concerns and primarily an effort to protect the American polity, foreign dignitaries, donors and thousands of attendees from any large-scale disaster or threat.
The designated survivor, who in the event of a catastrophic event would assume responsibility for leading the United States after a crisis, is typically a Cabinet official when a major security incident puts elected officials in the same position, such as inaugurations and State of the Union addresses.
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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the Commander-in-Chief Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Previous designated survivors include former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, former Energy Secretary Rick Perry and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was appointed during the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama. One position.
Gates, a George W. Bush appointee, continued to serve in the Pentagon post under Obama until July 2011, according to Gates' official Department of Defense biography.
The survivor's location (and sometimes even identity) is kept secret until the event has dispersed and attendees have safely returned home. In high-profile incidents, more extensive contingency plans are developed.
As Garrett Graff reported in 2016, Gates' role as designated survivor during Obama's inauguration also included another administration heavyweight, then-Deputy Secretary of Intelligence James Clapper (James Clapper), who hid deep in an underground government bunker in Pennsylvania as a backup during the ceremony. A recognition, if you will, of the reserve staff and the detailed succession planning that the group's defense, intelligence and other federal agencies have carefully developed over some 40-plus years.
It is therefore noteworthy that there were no designated survivors during the 47th Presidential Inauguration.
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President Donald Trump will attend the Commander-in-Chief's Ball in Washington on January 20, 2025, to celebrate his inauguration. (Reuters/Daniel Cole)
NBC News first reported Designated Survivor's absence, but no reason was given.
The large security presence coordinated before January 20 may have been deemed sufficient to protect against any threats.
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President Donald Trump reviews troops during his inauguration ceremony in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025. (Greg Nash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
It's also possible that the event, which was held indoors and therefore limited to members of the public and news media, was restrictive enough to disqualify Designated Survivor.
Before the event, FBI and Secret Service agents emphasized strict security measures and intense vetting of ticketed attendees.
David Sandberg of the FBI's Washington field office told Fox News earlier this week that the bureau was not tracking "any specific or credible threats" on Inauguration Day.
"All attendees will be screened," said Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Washington field office.
Fencing alone has received more visits than any other designated national special security activity in the past, these people told Fox News.
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"Designated checkpoints will be in place for members of the public interested in attending the inauguration," McCool said before the inauguration. The protocol also applies to attendees of modified Capital One festivities, which were canceled due to cold temperatures. Move indoors.
The White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on Designated Survivor's absence.
Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.