As the nation grapples with the aftermath of the second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, lawmakers are divided on how to bolster the Secret Service’s protection of the former president.
While some lawmakers are calling for increased funding for the agency, others argue that the solution lies in better resource allocation rather than throwing more money at the problem. The debate has exposed a deepening partisan rift over how to address the security concerns surrounding Trump, with some Republicans suggesting that the Secret Service simply needs to prioritize its resources better, rather than hiring more agents. “They’ve got plenty of personnel, they’ve got plenty of money,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS). “They need to prioritize where to be placing these Secret Service agents.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who has played golf with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, emphasized the challenges of protecting a high-profile figure like Trump, who is often on the move. “It’s just almost impossible to protect, 100%, a guy like Donald Trump,” Tuberville said. “There has to be more [agents]. More is better.”
However, Democrats are pushing for increased funding for the Secret Service, with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) revealing that the Biden administration has requested expedited funding in a stopgap spending bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) expressed openness to the idea, and President Biden has stated that the agency “needs more help” from Congress.
But not all Republicans are convinced that more funding is the solution. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed openness to increased funding, but his deputy, Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), suggested that the issue may be more complex. “I want to make sure that that’s the issue, that it’s not decisions that are made at the C-suite level in terms of allocation of resources and manpower,” Thune said.
In the House, GOP leaders are also skeptical of throwing more money at the problem. “I think it’s a matter of manpower allocation,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). “We don’t want to just throw more money at a broken system.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) pointed out that Congress has consistently increased the Secret Service’s budget over the agency’s own requests, suggesting that the issue lies in how resources are allocated rather than a lack of funding.
House Republicans are planning to introduce legislation that would require presidential nominees to receive the same level of protection as sitting presidents, without increasing the Secret Service’s funding levels.
