President Donald Trump has officially revoked Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a senior adviser to Harris who spoke with NBC News on Friday. A White House official confirmed the move, noting that by standard protocol, former vice presidents typically receive six months of protection after leaving office. While this is the usual timeframe, a 2008 law permits this limit. However, in January, President Joe Biden had quietly signed an executive memorandum extending Harris’s protection to 18 months, a decision that now stands in contrast to Trump’s recent action. “The Vice President is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety,” the adviser stated.
This decision follows a similar move earlier this year when Trump ended Secret Service protection for President Biden’s adult children, Hunter and Ashley. Under current law, former presidents and their spouses are entitled to lifetime Secret Service protection unless they opt out. However, the protection for their children only extends until they turn 16, after which they are no longer entitled to continued security detail. Trump’s latest decision adds to a growing list of high-profile moves regarding security protocols for political figures.
In a separate development, there has been a noticeable surge in applicants for federal law enforcement and border security roles under the Trump administration. According to reports from The Center Square, U.S. Border Patrol saw a dramatic 44% increase in applications during the first four months of the administration, compared to the same period in 2024. Under the leadership of Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, Texas’s first border czar, the first quarter of 2025 has been hailed as “the most successful four-month recruitment stretch in the agency’s history.”
Furthermore, the Trump administration is witnessing a significant rise in applications for the United States Secret Service (USSS). From January 20, 2025, to May 1, 2025, the USSS received over 22,000 applications, a 200% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when only 7,000 people applied. The surge in recruitment is attributed, in part, to the administration’s decision to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices and related policies that had previously been a focal point of the federal hiring process.
The sharp increase in federal law enforcement applicants reflects a broader trend under Trump’s leadership, where concerns about national security, border control, and agency integrity have fueled growing interest in serving in these roles. As the administration continues to advocate for policies aimed at strengthening border security and law enforcement, the rising number of applicants underscores a shift in the federal recruitment landscape.
