Enhancements remain a priority for the Secret Service a year after the foiled attempt on Trump's life

U.S. Secret Service Budget Increase and Post-Shooting Reforms

The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) has requested a budget of approximately $3.5 billion for fiscal 2026, marking an increase of nearly $192 million from the current fiscal year. This budget, if approved, will support around 8,800 positions, which is 444 more than the present authorized total.

The budget overview also mentions the agency's plans to secure the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics. The increase in funding will be used for additional resources, performance, retention, and signing bonuses, aiming to bolster the agency's capabilities.

The USSS has been actively working on implementing reforms in the wake of the 2021 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The gunman also claimed lives and injured others at a campaign rally. A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued on July 12, 2022, included eight recommendations, all of which the USSS has concurred with.

Following the incident, the USSS has taken disciplinary action against six employees, with punishments ranging from 10- to 42-day suspensions without pay and placements on restricted duty or into non-operational positions. The agency has also revised the curriculum for site security responsibilities and is undergoing a review to update guidance on the sharing of "actionable threat information" with event security planners.

Poor coordination among security personnel from different agencies was identified as a contributing factor to the assassination attempt. To address this, improvements in USSS operations are focused on ensuring proper communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officers.

Sean Curran, Trump's former lead agent, was appointed as the Director of the USSS in 2022. The agency has implemented 21 out of 46 congressional recommendations made after the shooting, with nine recommendations still under the jurisdiction of other governmental entities.

A recruitment campaign, including a Super Bowl ad, led to an increase in USSS applications, with more than 22,000 individuals applying between January 2021 and May 1 compared with 7,000 during the same period in 2024. The USSS has also received a nearly $1.2 billion infusion through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which is available through September 30, 2029.

The GAO has suggested that the USSS develop a process to ensure that actionable threat information is shared with officials who are creating the security plan for an event. The USSS is still working on implementing 16 recommendations from the shooting incident.