WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a politically charged move, President Donald Trump has canceled the Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, an extension that had been authorized by her predecessor, Joe Biden. The decision comes just weeks after Harris’s initial six-month post-office protection expired.
Under federal law, former vice presidents are entitled to six months of Secret Service security after leaving office. A directive signed by President Biden had quietly extended Ms. Harris’s protection for another year, but a memo from the Trump administration, dated Thursday, revokes that extension. According to a letter from August 28 seen by the BBC, the directive instructs the Secret Service to “discontinue any security-related procedures previously authorised by Executive Memorandum, beyond those required by law” for Harris, effective September 1. A senior White House official has since confirmed the action.
The move comes as Ms. Harris is set to embark on a national book tour to promote her new memoir, “107 Days,” which details her unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign.
Sources familiar with the situation told CBS, a BBC partner, that a recent threat assessment found no new, alarming information that would justify extending the protection beyond the standard six-month period. However, the decision has drawn fierce criticism from her allies, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who called it “another act of revenge.” Mayor Bass, who told CNN that the action puts Harris in danger, has pledged to ensure her safety while in Los Angeles.
This is not the first instance of President Trump revoking protections for political opponents and critics. Since returning to the White House in January, he has also ended Secret Service details for former President Biden’s children, Hunter and Ashley Biden, as well as former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci. Other former Trump officials who have become critics, such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, have also had their protections revoked.
This decision to remove Ms. Harris’s security detail has raised concerns, particularly given the threats she faced during her time in office as the first woman and first person of color to hold the position. These included a 2024 incident where a man was charged with making online threats against her and former President Barack Obama, and a 2021 case where a woman pleaded guilty to making threats against her. The Secret Service is credited with playing a key role in protecting Trump himself during two assassination attempts last year.
Source: CNN