Rachel Maddow

I don't know.

So, yeah, in a normal administration, even a normal Republican administration, maybe somebody like the labor secretary would be the designated survivor at the State of the Union.

But do you want to put a spotlight on that hot mess right now?

That absolutely radioactive scandal engulfing everything related to Trump's labor secretary?

Yeah, maybe not.

Maybe it's not going to be her.

Maybe instead you go with another, you know, low-profile department, one of those departments where only real government geeks even know what the department does.

Like, maybe you'd go with something really obscure like the Commerce Department.

Who's Trump's Secretary of Commerce again?

Headline!

New details from Epstein files reveal Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Letnick had years-long business tie with sex offender.

Oh, yeah, that's the Commerce Secretary.

So maybe we can't have the Commerce Secretary be the designated survivor either.

Not when today, the day before the State of the Union, we had the former British ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, arrested and perp-walked out of his home because of his Epstein ties.

That's right after former Prince Andrew was arrested as well.

Both of those arrests are not just because of their Epstein links, but because of their Epstein links and their government jobs.

Peter Mandelson, it's for when he had the exact same job as Howard Letnick, but in the British government rather than the U.S.

government, right?

Meanwhile, here, all the Trump-connected people, like Trump himself and like Howard Letnick, Trump's commerce secretary, they are apparently in no trouble at all, but maybe you wouldn't want to highlight that at the State of the Union.

I mean, will Dr. Oz be at the State of the Union?