All articles tagged with #secret service
President Donald Trump is pursuing a plan to install permanent fences around the White House, with barriers at key Pennsylvania Avenue intersections to allow officials to close pedestrian access when security risks arise; the proposal would extend beyond current temporary barriers and comes as part of Trump’s broader White House makeover, despite concerns from some officials about public access.
The Vice President, JD Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance are reportedly considering leasing rural property in Middleburg, Virginia, to accommodate their growing family, with the Secret Service planning to provide additional security for the new residence.
The White House is upgrading its front-door security at the North Portico, a project long advocated by the Secret Service. The work is focused on fortifying the entrance rather than cosmetic changes, and scaffolding and tarps have obscured the area as exterior columns are repaired. Officials say completion is expected by mid-September, reflecting heightened security concerns amid assassination attempts and plots targeting the White House.
At a Milwaukee event promoting fraud crackdown, Vice President Harris’s remark "look at this woman" turned into a visible misstep when the photo behind JD Vance was obscured by lighting, effectively hiding Markita Barnes—the Milwaukee woman convicted of healthcare fraud—from viewers on Fox News. Acyn Torabi highlighted the blur, and the White House Rapid Response team hinted that Torabi was at fault, prompting ridicule from MeidasTouch and fueling broader debates over free speech after a related First Amendment lawsuit involving a satirical cat-account activist. The White House did not immediately comment.
A DHS inspector general report found that the Secret Service missed opportunities to detect, warn, and secure against a 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump due to policy gaps, limited intelligence sharing, and understaffing. The agency has since reformed leadership, expanded security measures (e.g., bullet-resistant glass), and accelerated hiring, with progress on most congressional recommendations and ongoing efforts to address staffing and burnout.
A government watchdog report found the U.S. Secret Service failed to receive 102 local radio transmissions about the gunman who opened fire at a 2024 Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, because it did not establish a joint communications room with local authorities. The agency reportedly logged only five phone calls and three text messages and did not alert Trump’s protective detail. The shooter, Thomas Crooks, was killed by law enforcement after a nine‑minute drone flight over the venue, which went undetected in part because the counter‑drone system was inoperable and the operator under‑trained. The inspector general issued recommendations on information sharing and line‑of‑sight vulnerabilities, which the Secret Service says it has begun implementing.
A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report found Secret Service missteps at the July 2024 Butler, Pa., Trump rally, including a counter-drone operator Googling the rooftop location of the would-be assassin and a series of communication gaps (notably 102 radio transmissions going unheard) and lack of a joint operations room, which contributed to delayed warnings as gunman Thomas Crooks fired from a roof 155 yards from the stage, mortally wounding a rally attendee and wounding Trump and several others.
Under a National Special Security Event designation, the July 4 celebration on the National Mall will be heavily secured with magnetometers, government IDs, and strict bag/item bans, and the Mall will be closed to vehicle traffic and divided into three security zones, all under Secret Service leadership. The event—billed by Trump as the largest fireworks show in history—also features flyovers and a FAA ground stop, reflecting heightened threat-prevention measures in light of recent security concerns.
The Trump administration quietly redirected about $352 million from Secret Service funds toward the White House’s East Wing Modernization ballroom, arguing the project is a security upgrade. Congress had refused private funding, and the funds were shifted from accounts designated for procurement/construction and operations and support under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Estimates for the project have grown, with some reports suggesting total costs could reach $600 million, while watchdogs raise concerns about the influence of private contributions and ongoing legal challenges to the demolition of the East Wing.
Senators allege the White House redirected $352 million from a Trump tax-cut reconciliation bill earmarked for Secret Service and White House security toward financing the East Wing modernization and a Trump ballroom. The White House maintains private donations will cover the ballroom and that security needs justify the funds, while critics say it resembles covert taxpayer funding for a pet project and warn of long-term budget implications for security personnel and related programs.
The Secret Service says it led the ongoing, sealed investigation into a planned attack on a White House UFC event, even as FBI Director Kash Patel prematurely announced the thwarting of the plot on social media, drawing criticism over disclosures that may have affected the probe. At least five suspects have been charged, the case spans multiple states, and authorities say more people are to be questioned as the investigation continues.
Pro-Trump influencer Ryan Fournier and his friend Jordan Daley were arrested in Washington, DC after Daley allegedly flashed a counterfeit Secret Service badge to pose as an agent; investigators describe a pattern of strip-club visits, fake badges, and inflated claims of Trumpworld access, amid ongoing Secret Service scrutiny. Fournier also faces a separate arrest for texting his ex in violation of a court order, and tipsters warned of Daley’s plan to bring guns to a White House–area UFC event, with the fake badge recovered at their apartment.
Federal agents, in a multi-state operation, thwarted a planned attack on Sunday’s White House UFC event, arresting several suspects; prosecutors describe a plot to deploy explosive-laden drones and snipers targeting high-value targets amid UFC 250 celebrations, with 23 people connected to the plans and Trump reportedly unaware of the threat.
The FBI says it thwarted a planned attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, with multiple individuals in custody after a multistate operation; the Secret Service led the investigation and stressed they would not leak details to protect security; White House officials declined to comment further, while the event—held to mark America’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday—proceeded with high security, flyovers, and fireworks.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of a UFC Freedom 250 fan fest near the White House by Secret Service after claiming he’d been banned from Trump’s birthday event for criticizing the president; the event proceeded with Trump in attendance, while UFC chief Dana White insisted Strickland wasn’t banned, just not invited. Strickland later posted videos suggesting possible disorderly conduct charges, adding to his history of provocative remarks.