The Secret Service is currently facing new scrutiny following the second assassination attempt on President Trump and is reportedly operating with about 400 fewer personnel than authorized by Congress.
According to government records reviewed by Reuters, the Secret Service employed 7,879 people as of February, short of the roughly 8,300 employees the government expects. The institution's annual budget requires it.
“The Secret Service has no resources and no bodies,” former agent Bill Gage told the news agency.
An assassination attempt on President Trump was thwarted on Sunday when Secret Service agents opened fire on an armed man near the perimeter fence of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. The suspect, Ryan Routh, was subsequently pursued and detained.
Trump assassination plot exposed, Ryan Routh bomb seized, pro deaths at barricade with illegal guns
FBI agents collected evidence Monday around the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., after Ryan Routh was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump by hiding in bushes along the golf course. (Mega from Fox News Digital)
Former agents told Reuters that Trump's desire to play at his own golf course, close to his Mar-a-Lago estate where he played on Sunday, poses additional security concerns. Former presidents such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton routinely played at military courses that may be closed to the public, agents said.
agent He also spoke to Reuters. Since President Biden gave up re-election in July, the Secret Service has had to expand its coverage to a wider group of officials, putting additional strain on its staff.
Trump reveals 'weaknesses' in his security efforts, says team has been asking for more staff for 'a long time'
Former President Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“The pace, the expectations, the pressure has never been as bad as it is now,” former agent Kenneth Valentine said.
Acting Director Ronald Lowe told Congress in July that the Secret Service's demanding work means only 2 percent of applicants are hired, and the agency is also grappling with employees leaving for higher-paying jobs in the private sector, according to Reuters.
FBI agents are gathering evidence in West Palm Beach, Florida, following a second assassination attempt on President Trump. (Mega from Fox News Digital)
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According to Reuters, in 2022, former Director James Murray outlined to Congress a plan to increase the Secret Service's number of officers to 8,305 by 2023 and 10,000 by 2027.
