'Off the charts': Secret Service director says threat environment most challenging he's ever seen
U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the current threat environment is the most challenging he's ever seen.
"The numbers at this agency, and certainty I've never seen in my 24-year-career, they're off the charts," Curran said in response to a question from ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas at a media briefing on Wednesday.
"I think the environment has become very volatile and that's just across the board, not just to our protectees but local officials. The threat picture and environment is as large as I've ever seen it," Curran said.
The director's concern comes as senior Secret Service officials told reporters they've handled 10,000 threat related cases for their protectees this year, including President Donald Trump, noting the threats are increasing in volume and complexity.
The numbers reflect a 40% increase in threats this year compared to last, officials said. One common denominator of concern: many of the threats involve people who are battling mental illness, according to officials.
Secret Service officials noted they have had 10 times the number of mental health committals than that of the previous year.
Ahead of Friday's rescheduled White House correspondents' dinner, Curran said they are taking everything into account, including an analysis of how buildings might survive explosions at the site.
A shooting upended the annual gathering at the Washington Hilton hotel on April 25. Cole Allen, 31, has been accused of trying to assassinate Trump. Allen has pleaded not guilty. The dinner is rescheduled for this coming Friday at a different hotel in Washington, D.C.
Agents from the United States Secret Service deal with all manner of threats from at home and abroad, including Iran.
"I don't think it's any secret, it's been in the media, that Iran has publicly said they want to kill President Trump," deputy director Matt Quinn told reporters.
“That takes into account everything we do all the time,” he said, adding there are certain methods of threat protection that can't be discussed.
Since the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt against Trump in 2024, the Secret Service has been building up their anti-drone capabilities.
"No one in federal government or law enforcement is doing more to proactively get after the drone threat than the Secret Service. Nobody in government," Quinn said. "Look, the threat is real. We look at Ukraine. We look at just basic intelligence."
Quinn said it is "just a matter of time" before the drone threat comes into the United States.
"Detection is the key," he said. "I can tell you that Secret Service is leading the way in technology that has been recently deployed."
