Biden says Secret Service 'needs more help' after gunman allegedly targeted Trump

President Joe Biden said on Monday that the Secret Service needs to be better funded. His comments came as the FBI investigates a second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

"One thing I want to make clear: the Service needs more help and I think that Congress should respond to their needs if they in fact need more services," President Biden said on Monday, adding that the Secret Service may need more personnel.

The Secret Service has increased its staffing levels in recent years, going from 8,105 positions in 2022 to 8,305 in 2023 and 8,382 in 2024. The agency also increased its budget by 10% between 2023 and 2024.

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On Sunday, officials responded to an armed man outside of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Authorities arrested Ryan Wesley Routh, who allegedly pointed a rifle toward the golf club while Trump was golfing on Sunday.

The incident was the second known assassination attempt on Trump in recent months. In July, a gunman wounded Trump in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter was fatally shot by Secret Service snipers seconds later.

As lawmakers contemplate funding levels for the Secret Service in 2025, In a letter obtained by Roll Call last week, Acting Secret Service Director Rob Rowe did not blame security failures on a lack of resources.

“While the reviews and investigations are ongoing, we do not believe the security failure of July 13, 2024 was the result of a lack of resources,” he said.

Rowe, however, said the agency does need additional resources to handle threats to people under their protection.

“We have taken necessary steps to meet the operational tempo of the protective mission today, but the increased mission requirements of the Secret Service necessitate additional resources to ensure that we have the tools, resources and personnel needed to meet these requirements and execute our mission going forward,” Rowe said in the letter.

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The Secret Service took a lot of criticism for its preparations for the July rally. The department director, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned following intense questioning from lawmakers about the June incident.