US President Donald Trump has left detailed instructions for Vice President JD Vance in case of an assassination attempt or other emergency during his second term, a senior White House official has claimed.Sebastian Gorka, who serves as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Counterterrorism, made the comments during an interview on the “Pod Force One” podcast hosted by Miranda Devine.According to the New York Post report, Gorka said, “There’s a letter in the Resolute desk drawer that’s addressed to the Vice President, in case anything happens to him.”“We have protocols, trust me. I can’t discuss them, but we have protocols,” he said.Gorka talked about succession arrangements while discussing security concerns surrounding Trump’s ongoing trip to China.

This comment has come during Trump’s visit to China

Trump is currently in Beijing for high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping focusing on trade relations, artificial intelligence and broader geopolitical tensions.Gorka dismissed fears that foreign powers might attempt to target Trump during the visit, despite calling the president an “existential threat to China.”“He alone stands between them and world domination, so they have every reason in the world to take him out,” Gorka said, before adding that he did not believe such an attack would occur.“I have no fear at all of him doing anything,” he said. “The president is very safe in my estimation.”Gorka also praised Trump’s global influence and said, “Everyone wants recognition from this guy. This is the most powerful man we’ve seen since guys like Eisenhower.”

Trump has survived several assassination attempts

The comments follow several assassination attempts targeting Trump in recent years.Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks shot and killed the president in the ear before being shot by Secret Service personnel.Another suspect, Ryan Routh, was later arrested for hiding with a rifle near Trump’s Florida golf course. He was charged and later sentenced to life imprisonment, the report said.More recently, another incident occurred during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington in April, when a suspect identified as Cole Thomas Allen breached a security checkpoint and opened fire before being apprehended by security personnel.Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and JD Vance were evacuated safely.Under the US Constitution, the Vice President is first in line to assume the presidency. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 further outlines the order of succession after the Vice President.