美农业部长担任“指定幸存者”
美国农业部长珀杜是川普总统发表国情咨文期间的“指定幸存者”。
每年总统发表国情咨文时，为了避免灾难事件发生造成总统继任者无一幸免的情况发生，内阁中总会有一名部长担任 “指定幸存者”，被送到一个不向外界披露的地点。
这项传统始于冷战初期，当时人们担心与苏联爆发核战争。
根据美国法律，如果总统发生意外，继任总统的顺序为副总统、众议院议长、参议院议长，然后是内阁部长。内阁部长中的顺序按照各部成立时间，第一位是国务卿，最后一位是国土安全部长。
川普总统内阁中有一名部长不能做“指定幸存者”。按照美国宪法，在台湾出生的运输部长赵小兰没有担任总统的资格。
如若总统发表国情咨文期间发生灾难事件，“指定幸存者”将作为代总统接管一切权力。
Agriculture Secretary to Serve as Designated Survivor
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has been named the "designated survivor" during the State of the Union speech by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Each year, one member of the president’s Cabinet is whisked away to an undisclosed location during the address in case a catastrophic event occurs and wipes out the line of presidential succession.
The tradition harkens back to the dawn of the Cold War, amid fears of a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union.
After the vice president, the speaker of the House, and the president pro tempore of the Senate, the line of succession goes to Cabinet secretaries in the order they were created, beginning with the Secretary of State and ending with the Secretary of Homeland Security.
One member of Trump’s Cabinet cannot serve as a designated survivor: Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan and does not meet the constitutional requirements to serve as president.
The designated survivor will take over duties as the acting commander-in-chief is case of a catastrophic event.
一些民主党议员抵制川普总统的国情咨文讲话
川普担任美国总统的第一年有不少争议，导致至少14名民主党国会议员宣布抵制川普总统的国情咨文。这可能是已知对总统国情咨文最大规模的一次抵制。
来自乔治亚州的众议员路易斯说他不会参加。他在MSNBC电视节目上说：“在目前这个节骨眼上，我不打算出席国情咨文演讲。”
来自加利福尼亚州的众议员瓦尔加斯星期一下午在推特上宣布了他不参加国情咨文的决定。他说：“总统继续不尊重女性、侮辱有色人种、攻击我们的移民社区。我不参加国情咨文。我与那些他曾经并继续不尊重的人站在一起。”
来自加利福尼亚州经常尖锐批评川普总统的众议员华特尔斯说她也不参加，不愿意花时间听骗子讲话。
这不是美国历史上第一次抵制总统的国情咨文讲话。
1999年，克林顿总统在两党对立的国会发表国情咨文。在那之前几个星期，他刚刚面对众议院弹劾。一些共和党议员决定不参加克林顿的国情咨文，包括亚利桑纳州的众议院沙德格、科罗拉多州的沙佛尔议员和塔恩科雷多议员，以及乔治亚州的巴尔议员。
以前最大规模的抵制国情咨文是在1972年，当时众议院内所有的12名非洲裔议员拒绝参加。这些议员致函尼克松总统，希望安排一次会见，但是被尼克松总统拒绝。他们随后拒绝出席克林顿总统的国情咨文。
Some Democrats to Skip Trump's Address
U.S. President Donald Trump's first year in office was marked by controversy, resulting in at least 14 Democratic lawmakers announcing they plan to boycott the speech. It could be the biggest known boycott of a president's State of the Union.
Rep. John Lewis of Georgia said he would not attend. "At this junction, I do not plan to attend the State of the Union," Lewis said on MSNBC.
Rep. Juan Vargas of California tweeted Monday afternoon on his decision not to attend: ".@POTUS continues to disrespect women, insult people of color, and attack our immigrant communities. I will not be attending the State of the Union—I stand in solidarity with all the people he has and continues to disrespect. #SOTU"
Rep. Maxine Waters of California, a harsh Trump critic, also said she wouldn't be going. She asked, "Why would I take my time to go and sit and listen to a liar?"
This is not the first boycott of a president's State of the Union address.
In 1999, President Bill Clinton spoke in front of a divided Congress in his State of the Union address, just weeks after being impeached by the House of Representatives. Some Republicans decided not to attend. They included Reps. John Shadegg of Arizona, Bob Schaffer of Colorado, and Tom Tancredo of Colorado and Bobb Barr of Georgia.
The previous largest known boycott of a president's address came in 1971 by all 12 African-American lawmakers in the House. The members wrote to President Richard Nixon for a meeting, which they said he refused. In turn, they skipped Nixon's speech.
