(DCNF)—Fears of a U.S. Secret Service (USSS) security lapse have surged as former President Donald Trump prepares to return to the Pennsylvania city where he was shot during a July rally.
Trump is slated to speak to voters in Butler, Pennsylvania at 5 p.m. this evening, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and family members of Corey Comperatore — the fireman who was killed in the July shooting — also expected to attend. The speaking engagement has sparked concern over the former president’s safety; notably, a dozen current and former Secret Service agents told NBC News that the USSS has reached “a breaking point” amid staffing shortages and an increased workload.
“The increasing demand placed on the agency during this dynamic threat environment has resulted in our people being pushed to the limit,” Anthony Guglielmi, The USSS’ chief spokesman, said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation Saturday. “We recognize that this is not sustainable, and we cannot risk another mission failure.”
The USSS has struggled with staffing issues as attrition outpaced new hiring, with a net loss of 59 Special Agents and 60 Special Agents in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, respectively, according to employment data the USSS shared with the DCNF. However, the agency has seen a significant increase in hiring in fiscal year 2024, adding 186 Special Agents and 1,099 total employees — nearly double the total hired in the fiscal year prior.
Despite the recent increase in hiring, Trump’s return to Butler coincides with the USSS “redlining,” meaning agents are having to work excessive hours, according to two U.S. officials who spoke with NBC.
“The US Secret Service is killing their people, and worse they are supposed to have a zero-fail protective mission on zero rest/sleep,” a former agent reportedly told the outlet. “I love my agency but they are setting themselves up for another incident.”
The strain on Secret Service resources also comes despite the agency’s budget skyrocketing, with the USSS slated to receive an additional $231 million from Speaker Mike Johnson’s government funding bill. The agency’s budget has increased by nearly $1 billion since 2014, though only $200 million of that has gone to protective operations.
“I hate to say it, they are going to hit rock bottom fast,” a former Secret Service agent reportedly told NBC.
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