The United States Secret Service was once seen as one of the most trusted protection agencies in the world. Their job is simple but serious: protect the president, the vice president, and other top leaders. When they do their job right, no one notices. But when they fail, the whole world sees the danger. Lately, the Secret Service has had too many failures—and that’s a problem we can’t afford.
Just last week, a Secret Service officer working security at the United Nations allegedly fell asleep on duty. Worse yet, he left his gun behind while taking a bathroom break. That’s not just careless—it’s dangerous. President Trump had spoken at the UN just two days before. We don’t know if this officer was on duty that day, but what if he had been? A single mistake like that could put the president’s life at risk.
This isn’t an isolated event. In August, someone carrying a gun got past Secret Service screenings at Trump’s golf club in Virginia. Thankfully, the person never got close to the president and later reported the gun himself. Still, it shows a weakness in a system that’s supposed to be airtight.
Back in July, a Secret Service agent tried to sneak his wife onto a government plane bound for Scotland. President Trump called it a “weird deal,” and he’s right. It’s not just weird—it’s troubling. When agents misuse their authority, it casts doubt on the whole agency.
Then in September, protesters from the far-left group Code Pink interrupted a dinner President Trump was having with his Cabinet. They got close enough to shout at him in a public restaurant before they were removed. Again, the Service failed to stop a threat before it reached the president.
These lapses would be bad enough on their own. But they come after something far more serious. Last July, a man shot at President Trump during a campaign rally, hitting his ear. The bullet missed his head by just centimeters. That incident shook the nation—and it should have shaken the Secret Service to its core.
Just weeks later, another man tried to assassinate the president while he was golfing in Florida. He had hidden in the bushes near the course. Luckily, an alert agent saw him and took action before it was too late. But once again, how did someone get so close?
These aren’t small mistakes. They are signs of deeper problems—problems that began long before President Trump returned to office. After the attack in Butler, the former Secret Service Director quit. President Trump then appointed Sean Curran, a veteran agent who was on stage protecting him during that same attack.
Curran has a big job ahead of him. He must rebuild the Service from the inside out. As retired agent Scott Bryan explained, these failures are not just flukes. They are the result of weak hiring, poor training, and low standards. When you accept mediocrity, you get dangerous results.
We need agents who are strong in character, sharp in mind, and bold in spirit. The mission of protecting the president is one of honor. That mission cannot be trusted to people who fall asleep on duty or bend the rules for personal gain. And we must make sure these qualified people are paid well and trained properly.
Political violence is rising in our country. Just last month, Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated. It is clear: the threats are real, and they are growing.
The Constitution tasks the president with defending our nation. But it’s up to the Secret Service to defend the president. That job is sacred. It’s time for the Service to return to the high standards it once lived by. Our republic depends on it.
