The president's protectors are hardly noticeable - until things go wrong

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has raised questions about the Secret Service's record.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersThe president's protectors are hardly noticeable - until things go wrongGetty ImagesSecret Service agents rushed to protect Donald Trump after an attempted assassinationWithin seconds of shots ringing out at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in western Pennsylvania, at least five protective agents in dark suits, white shirts and sunglasses sprinted into view. They leapt on stage where Trump stood, throwing themselves on top of him and shielding him from view, before ushering him into a waiting car.

It looked like a picture of bravery, and of rigorous training. And yet, the near-miss that preceded the heroic scene is deemed by some to have been the worst security breach since the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

“It was a failed mission,” said Cheryl Tyler, a former Secret Service special agent and training instructor for the service. “It’s unacceptable.”

President Joe Biden on Sunday called for an “independent review” of security measures at the rally. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress would conduct its own investigation into any “lapses” in security. And Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, has been called to testify before lawmakers at a hearing on Monday.

But experts say last week’s episode will bring fresh scrutiny to the agency’s history, too, which includes a sometimes spotty record of mishaps and scandals that have risked the reputation of the presidents’ protectors.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c16j896003xo

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