“UP THEIR LEVEL OF PROTECTION”
Trump thanked the Secret Service for thwarting Sunday’s attack but some of his Republican allies called for the agency to ramp up its protective detail for the former president.
“There have been TWO attempts on Trump’s life,” said Steve Scalise, the Republican House Majority leader. “Secret Service must up their level of protection of him to their FULL capabilities – including expanding the perimeter.”
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw defended the Secret Service’s response, stating that if Trump had been the current president “we would have had this entire golf course surrounded.”
“But because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” he said. “The Secret Service did exactly what they should have done. They provided exactly what the protection should have been.”
Rowe said Biden, following the Butler attack, had ordered the “highest levels of protection” for Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.
He said the service was operating in a “heightened and dynamic threat environment” and stressed that it “cannot have failures”.
The Secret Service provides lifelong protection for current and former presidents and vice presidents, their families and the children of former presidents up to the age of 16.
Its agents also provide security for foreign heads of state and government on official visits to the United States, or for major national or international events.
Originally set up to combat counterfeit currencies, the agency was entrusted with protecting senior US leaders and their families following the assassination of president William McKinley in 1901.
To this day, the Secret Service continues to play a role in protecting the US financial system, including by investigating counterfeit money and digital fraud.
The agency has over 6,500 personnel, about half of whom are special agents, famous for their dark glasses, suits, earpieces and serious expressions.
Source: CNA
