The Department of Homeland Security has reported a 214% rise in applications for the U.S.
Secret Service compared to the same period last year, receiving around 22,000 applications since January 20, up from 7,000. Officials attribute the surge to reforms and restored standards following years of underfunding and morale issues.
The increase follows the July 2024 attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which exposed serious lapses in Secret Service operations. An independent panel found systemic flaws, including poor planning and leadership, and called for urgent reform and new leadership to restore the agency’s core mission and global standing in protective services.
