Washington (CNN) Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is Tuesday night's designated survivor, an administration official confirms to CNN, staying away from the Capitol as President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address.

Every year the administration appoints one member of the Cabinet to remain outside the House chamber during the State of the Union in case disaster strikes.

It was business as usual for Perdue on Tuesday, who spent most of his day at the Department of Agriculture, where he was in good spirits as usual.

He attended an event on food safety at the White House, held a meeting with staff about upcoming business, and met in his office with US Forest Service firefighter David Dalhberg, a guest of the first lady's at Tuesday's address.

Aides -- who were unaware of the plans -- were planning for Perdue to attend the State of the Union address and make media appearances touting the President's message. But throughout the day as media inquiries came in, chatter that he would be the designated survivor began swirling in his office.

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