WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was named the designated survivor to skip President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address, White House said Tuesday before the speech.

At least one member of the president's cabinet is selected to stay behind from the speech each year in case of emergency.

During Trump's speech, Perdue is expected to go to a distant, secure and undisclosed location outside Washington while everyone else gathers to listen to the president's address in the Capitol.

Perdue, former governor of Georgia, was sworn in to lead the country's Department of Agriculture in April last year.