Luckily, both of the people who tried to shoot Trump were bumbling incompetents. I truly mean it when I say not just Trump, but all of us were lucky. People have tried (and tragically succeeded) in killing Presidential candidates in the past. 1968 was a particularly bad year with George Wallace badly wounded and RFK, the REAL one and not his defective namesake son was killed. There was turmoil to be sure but nothing like the fury that would ensue if Trump were to be struck down by an assassin. So yes, Trump isn’t the only one lucky as hell.
Republicans of course have made much over the size and scope of Trump’s Secret Service detail and general security. Their ‘outrage’ went through the roof after the Butler shooting. Yet the more time that’s gone by the more it’s become clear the biggest failing was from the actual ‘body man’ team of agents assigned to both coordinate with state and locals, and if necessary physically shield Trump from harm being lax in the performance of their duties. No ‘denied requests’ for extra this or that would have made any difference. Still, conservatives have been pushing for Trump to get the same level of protection a sitting President gets!
Trump did in fact get more Secret Service (both Special Agents and support personnel) after Butler and some other things. Most notably a bullet resistant clear shield is now available to him anytime he speaks and standard for any outdoor event. In case you didn’t know that’s an expensive as hell thing to do. But Trump gets it along with other things. Now we have a second attempt by some crazed, lost soul to shoot Trump. He had a significant sized team protecting him out on his golf course and those agents, the ones assigned to make sure where he was and where he was soon headed was safe (not to mention those checking behind) did their jobs well. Trump was never in any real, imminent danger.
That suggests, as this article from the BBC says that Trump’s protection has increased both in size and quality. By a LOT. Republicans want Trump to have everything President Biden and VP Harris have. (Ok, they want him to have more but they don’t openly say so. Yet) Well, according to the linked article Trump’s now in the ballpark:
On Monday, the acting head of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, said security around Mr Trump’s home was now as intense as when he was president.
He said he was being provided with the “highest level” of security.
The article goes on to detail the Secret Service’s budget and some general stuff about where that over three billion dollars goes. It’s a good read. The upshot is something you’ve probably already seen/heard in other reporting. The Secret Service has a HUGE job and doesn’t have the resources to meet its current mission. Too many people and events to protect and not enough people (whether Protection Details or support personnel), equipment or other logistical stuff to get the job done the way the American people expect.
Congress, in a rare show of bi-partisanship seems inclined to make quick work of allocating more funds/resources to the Secret Service. That’s all well and good but the part that’s getting little mention is that between now and November there simply isn’t time to hire and train several hundred new Special Agents. For better or for worse (please let’s hope ‘worse’ doesn’t happen) in the months ahead the Secret Service has to make do with the resources it has. FINITE resources. Meanwhile it’s widely recognized and has been for a while now the Secret Service is stretched too thin. Even conservatives have mostly come around on that.
Yes there are protocols to boost their abilities in certain situations. There’s local LE at the homes of Protectees other than the President and Vice-President (although their personal residences back home still require security too), campaign or other events and so on. For bigger or special events including designated National Security Events there are protocols for borrowing from DHS and other Federal agencies. Still, things are simply stretched too thin and we’re in uncharted territory now.
There are a LOT of people and places that need protecting. There are NOT enough resources to do the job. That brings me back to the question in the headline. Much as Republicans would be FINE with doing so, the Secret Service isn’t going to transfer a bunch of people from the protection of Biden/the WH or Harris/the Naval Observatory to Trump’s Mar A Lago or Bedminster residences. Or Trump Tower. Yet as noted Mar A Lago at least is getting the level of ‘intensity’ that it did while Trump was President. One presumes that includes increased Secret Service presence at Bedminster and Trump Tower. (especially with Melania and Baron living there these days)
THAT means protection of other people and places has been reduced. CUT to put it bluntly. For me it begs the question of how the hell it gets decided who is left under protected. Or worse the consequences. What if someone who merits Secret Service protection is attacked and/or worse actually killed? Because the size of their detail was CUT to provide more for Trump and one presumes Vance too? Trump and Vance sure as hell won’t care. They might offer ‘thoughts and prayers’ but what they’d really be thinking is ‘F**k em. Better him/her than me and that person’s loved one will just have to suck it up.’
Plenty, if not most Republicans would feel the same way even if the dead Protectee was a Republican. Hell, if it happened to be a Republican VIP under elevated threat because they refused to bow down to Trump/MAGA conservatives would pop the champagne just like they would if something happened to Biden, Harris or one of their loved ones! And don’t any conservatives who come to Politizoom try and tell me in a comment that wouldn’t happen. I’ll tell you in advance to go f**k yourself. Sideways. With a two foot section of telephone pole wrapped in rusty barbed wire that’s been soaking in the sewer line under Trump’s fake gold toilet for a couple of months.
The bottom line is that Trump is getting an unprecedented, extraordinary level of Secret Protection for a former President. Or Presidential candidate. To provide it means other people who need protection are now more vulnerable to harm than should be the case. Worst of all, this mess is in large part because Trump has long ignored recommendations that would make it easier to protect him. It’s also a certainty he will continue to do so.
At this point I wouldn’t be surprised to see Trump, Vance and MAGA Republicans on Capitol Hill DEMANDING all of Biden’s and Harris’ protection and other things like use of the Presidential Aircraft fleet be re-assigned to Trump. Biden and Harris can they will say make do with the Uniformed Secret Service – those guards that only go through FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) and as for transportation. Since Trump gets ‘The Beast’ (that tank of a Presidential limo) a darkened SUV will do. And maybe some old DC-3s can be scrounged up to fly them around.
We are quite literally in dangerous times. More to the point is the fact there are people who truly need Secret Service protection that are no longer getting the level they need to remain safe. People should think about that.
This is bullshit. He is a former, an ex-prez, in no way deserving of any kind of enhanced s.s. detail. Whoever made this bone-headed decision needs to lose their job.
I think it’s pretty well established now that neither candidate has the level of protection needed. There could now be copycat attempts to either candidate.
This is federal law enforcement and they need to find the money somewhere. It may not be ideal with respect to training but I have no problem with both candidates getting increased protection.
Why can’t daddy big bucks billionaire hire his own security to supplement Secret Service.
MANY “rich” people maintain their “wealth” by seldom paying for anything themselves.
Geez you nazi child killing religious hypocrites…YOU YES YOU PUT 20 MILLION ASSAULT WEAPONS ON THE STREET, 400 MILLION GUNS ALTOGETHER. You want more protection for the evil traitor who instigated a violent coup killing four officers and injuring 140 others while watching it on tv for three hours DOING NOTHING. You stand by while elementary school kids are slaughtered to the point they’re unrecognizable except by their goddamn shoes, and ALL YOU OFFER THESE DEAD CHILDREN AND THE ONES TO BE KILLED IS YOUR EVIL THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. You deserve a blindfold, a cigarette and a phucking bullet. That’s more than we gave you nazis 1941-1945. Then you just got the bullet. Phuck all of you, ALL OF YOU!
I thought that the sons and daughters of an ex-president only had SS protection for 6 months afterwards – so why has Baby Donny still have his?
A couple of days ago I read where Trump’s Secret Service advised him not to golf that day because it’s too difficult to secure the area due to it being surrounded by residential homes and a street. But of course he insisted anyway. But I do wonder why either the local police or Secret Service didn’t investigate or tow the assailant’s car that was parked on the street all night and morning. Always unanswered questions when it comes to Trump!
I was thinking much the same thing about them warning him. So security is increased and he will continue to do what he wants in spite of the risks and our tax dollars (that he doesn’t pay) are used to give him extra security so he can act like an ass.
Not Democrats but disaffected RWNJs probably pose the greatest risk to trump, not to discount Russian or Iranian bad actors who want to destabilize the election and the country. Give him as much protection as possible, and for god’s sake keep him away from dangerous venues.
Just a correction, Denis, but Wallace was injured in an assassination attempt in 1972, not 1968. (The year is rather important as one of the people Wallace was competing against in the Democratic campaign for President was none other than Shirley Chisholm, and this Black Congresswoman from New York was the first to visit him while in the hospital–something that Wallace himself noted as beginning his road in overcoming the vicious racism he’d been promoting politically for the previous decade.)
Why are the Americans putting up with the secret service for a former president whether running or not, playing golf? RFK Jr. lost his secret service since he bowed out of the race.
Two reasons; first, an ex-president gets a reduced SS bodyguard for life (his family is only supposed to get personal protection for 6 months) and secondly, candidates in a presidential election campaign also get SS protection.
I don’t matter if the guy is the biggest bar steward going, them’s the rules