Secret Service Reports 40% Surge in Protectee Threats

The United States Secret Service is implementing a multimillion-dollar security overhaul following a 40% year-over-year increase in threats against full-time protectees, totaling 10,000 cases in 2026. Director Sean Curran attributed the surge to the influence of social media and increased information accessibility, while Deputy Director Matthew Quinn cited mental health issues as a primary driver.

To counter evolving risks, the agency is deploying AI and radar-guided drone hunters that use nets to capture aircraft. Quinn warned that drone swarms pose a significant threat to the U.S. homeland, noting the agency previously used electronic jamming to neutralize a drone at an Army-Navy game in Baltimore. Other upgrades include increased counter-sniper staffing, the addition of armored personnel carriers and medical response trucks to the presidential motorcade, and security enhancements to a new Air Force One aircraft donated by Qatar.

Agency leadership also defended the allocation of over $350 million for security infrastructure and a White House ballroom project as part of a $1.2 billion reconciliation package. Curran noted that improving on-campus facilities reduces the need for the president to leave the grounds, thereby enhancing security. Separately, Judicial Watch President Thomas Fitton criticized the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice for a projected 12-year timeline to release documents regarding the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.