92-Year-Old Sen. Chuck Grassley Would Be President Right Now if Catastrophe Struck at White House Correspondents' Dinner
By Joseph Konig
Published on April 27, 2026.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the highest-ranking official in the presidential line of succession, was not present at the White House Correspondents' Dinner when a gunman attempted to attack him. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson were also present. If the worst occurred, Grassley, currently serving in his eighth Senate term, would be the next man up to serve as acting president and take control of the US’s nuclear arsenal. Other senior Cabinet officials attending the dinner included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. No one was killed and a Secret Service agent was saved by his bulletproof vest. The apprehended suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, was expected in federal court on Monday.
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