Secret Service Faces Scrutiny Amid Funding Shortages and Assassination Attempts

The Secret Service is operating with hundreds fewer employees than authorized, raising concerns about its ability to protect the president and other high-ranking officials. The agency is facing fresh scrutiny in the wake of the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

The Secret Service is facing intense scrutiny following a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The agency, which is responsible for protecting the president and other high-ranking officials, is currently operating with about 400 fewer employees than what Congress has authorized, a report says.

As of February, there were 7,879 people employed by the Secret Service, according to government records viewed by Reuters. This falls short of the around 8,300 staffers that the agency’s annual budget calls for.

Secret Service Faces Scrutiny Amid Funding Shortages and Assassination Attempts

Former agent Bill Gage told Reuters that the Secret Service "does not have the resources, it doesn’t have the bodies."

The latest attempt on Trump’s life was thwarted on Sunday by a Secret Service agent who opened fire at an armed man stationed near the perimeter fence of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. That suspect, Ryan Routh, was later tracked down and taken into custody.

Secret Service Faces Scrutiny Amid Funding Shortages and Assassination Attempts

Former agents told Reuters that Trump’s desire to play golf on his own courses – such as the one he was playing on Sunday, which is a short distance from his Mar-a-Lago residence – generates additional security challenges. The agents say past presidents such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton usually played on military golf courses that could be shut down to the public.

The agents also told Reuters that the Secret Service has had to expand its protective coverage to a wider group of officials since President Biden dropped his re-election bid in July, placing further strain on its staff.

Secret Service Faces Scrutiny Amid Funding Shortages and Assassination Attempts

"The pace, the expectations, the pressure has never been worse than it is right now," said former agent Kenneth Valentine.

Acting Director Ronald Rowe said to Congress in July that only 2% of applicants are hired for the Secret Service due to the demanding nature of the job, while the agency is also grappling with staff leaving for lucrative positions in the private sector, Reuters reports.

Secret Service Faces Scrutiny Amid Funding Shortages and Assassination Attempts

In 2022, former director James Murray outlined to Congress a plan to have 8,305 Secret Service staff members by 2023 and 10,000 by 2027, according to Reuters.

The Secret Service is currently requesting additional funding from Congress to address its staffing shortages. The agency is also looking at ways to improve its hiring and retention practices.

The assassination attempts on Trump have raised serious concerns about the Secret Service’s ability to protect the president and other high-ranking officials. Congress is expected to hold hearings on the Secret Service’s funding and operations in the coming weeks.

The Secret Service has a long and distinguished history of protecting the president and other high-ranking officials. However, the agency is facing new challenges in the 21st century, including the rise of lone-wolf attackers and the proliferation of weapons. The Secret Service is working to adapt to these challenges, but it is clear that the agency is in need of additional resources.