US Elections 2024: Beyond law-and-order problem, Trump assassination bid shows US Secret Service needs an overhaul

Two months after a near-fatal assassination attempt on Donald Trump, security concerns escalated as a gunman managed to remain hidden for nearly 12 hours near the golf course where Trump played on Sunday, protected by an overstretched Secret Service. As the 2024 presidential race intensifies, the Secret Service is grappling with severe staffing shortages, operating with 400 fewer employees than Congress has approved, according to government records.

These personnel gaps are unlikely to be addressed before the November 5 election, as hiring within the agency typically takes over 200 days. With President Joe Biden bowing out of the re-election race in July and Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in as the Democratic contender against Republican Trump, the Secret Service has expanded its protective coverage to a larger group of high-profile figures, further straining resources.

Former Secret Service agents and department leaders describe the situation as unprecedented. Kenneth Valentine, a former agent, said in a phone interview, “The pressure has never been greater than it is right now.”

The strain on the agency was evident on Sunday when Trump chose to golf privately at one of his Florida clubs. Due to time constraints, agents skipped a routine site survey, a standard practice that might have uncovered the gunman, who had concealed himself near the fifth hole of Trump International Golf Club. The gunman had been holed up for hours, armed and prepared, within a few hundred yards of where Trump played.

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, who took over in July after the previous director resigned following Trump’s assassination scare, addressed the increasing demands on his team. “We are pushing our agents to the limit,” Rowe admitted during a Monday news conference, acknowledging the relentless pressures faced by the understaffed agency.

Though members of Congress from both parties have expressed willingness to approve additional funding, this measure won’t resolve the immediate personnel crisis. The long hours and high-pressure situations are taking a toll on agents already stretched thin by the demands of protecting candidates and officials.

The risks became starkly clear on July 13, when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, killing a bystander and grazing Trump’s ear with a bullet. Secret Service agents swiftly evacuated Trump and neutralized the attacker, but the incident exposed critical security gaps. Rowe later told Congress he felt "ashamed" of the agency's failure to prevent the shooting.

On Sunday, during the latest incident at the Florida golf course, a vigilant Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of an AK-47-style rifle, forcing the would-be attacker to flee before he could take aim at Trump. While the immediate threat was thwarted, the event underscored the increasing dangers the agency faces amid the election's final stretch.