White House counterterrorism official Sebastian Gorka said during a recent interview that President Trump has already prepared detailed instructions for Vice President JD Vance in the event something were to happen to him during his second term.
Speaking with Miranda Devine on the New York Post podcast Pod Force One, Gorka said the administration has succession procedures in place and suggested Trump personally prepared guidance for Vance in case of a catastrophic event.
“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 during the interview.
Gorka, who oversees counterterrorism strategy for the administration, said he is not worried about foreign adversaries successfully targeting Trump, even as the president prepares for another high-profile trip to China.
“We have protocols, trust me,” Gorka said. “Not ones I can discuss, but we have protocols.”
Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week as tensions between Washington and Beijing remain high over trade disputes, artificial intelligence development, and China’s expanding nuclear capabilities. Some Trump allies have reportedly expressed concern about the president’s safety during the trip because of his aggressive posture toward China throughout his second term.
Gorka described Trump as “the existential threat to China,” arguing that the president’s policies have directly challenged Beijing’s ambitions on the world stage.
“He alone stands between them and world domination, so they have every reason in the world to take him out,” Gorka said. He later clarified that he does not believe China would actually attempt such an attack.
“I have no fear at all of them doing something,” he added. “The president, in my estimation, is very safe.”
Gorka also suggested that global leaders still want Trump’s approval and recognition despite political tensions.
“Everybody wants recognition from this man,” he said. “This is the most powerful individual we have seen since the likes of Eisenhower.”
The comments come after Trump survived multiple assassination attempts during and after the 2024 presidential campaign.
In July 2024, gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was grazed in the ear before Secret Service snipers killed the shooter. A second incident occurred later that year when Ryan Routh allegedly positioned himself near Trump’s Florida golf course with a rifle before being spotted by agents.
More recently, authorities say another suspect, Cole Allen, attempted to target Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April before Secret Service agents intervened. Allen has pleaded not guilty to several federal charges, including attempted assassination of the president.
Trump has previously addressed threats against him publicly. Earlier this year, he warned Iran there would be devastating consequences if it carried out an assassination attempt against him.
“If anything ever happens,” Trump said during an interview in January, “the whole country is going to get blown up.”
While Gorka declined to discuss specifics about presidential security procedures, his remarks offered a rare glimpse into how seriously the administration treats succession planning and potential threats against the president.
