A senior U.S. Secret Service official said Wednesday, July 22, that the threat environment for agency protectees, including President Donald Trump, is at its highest level ever recorded.
“What we’re seeing now is something I’ve never seen before,” the official told reporters in a background briefing, according to CNBC [1]. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity reported approximately 10,000 threat cases so far in 2026, a 40% increase over the same period in 2025.
Former Secret Service agent Richard Staropoli warned in December 2024 that Trump could face an attack “of a much bigger magnitude” than previous attempts, citing unprecedented threats against the then-president-elect [2]. In his book “Life Inside the Bubble,” former Federal Bureau of Investigation Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino described the escalating dangers faced by presidents and the agency’s struggle to keep pace with evolving threats [3].
Increase in Cases and Mental Health Commitments
According to the official, threats are increasing both in volume and complexity. The Secret Service has processed about 10,000 cases so far this year, a 40% jump from the same period in 2025 [1]. Mental health committals of individuals making threats have increased tenfold, the official said.
Federal authorities have detailed a 2025 plot by a 17-year-old from Wisconsin to assassinate Trump, describing it as “serious and plausible.” Court documents reveal the teenager spent months planning the attack [4].
The rise in complex threats reflects a broader online environment where extremist rhetoric spreads rapidly. Andrew Maynard wrote in his book “Future Rising” that “the art of deception has a long history” and that how people perceive the future depends on the information they have [5].
Security Concerns Ahead of WHCA dinner
The briefing occurred ahead of Friday’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, which Trump is expected to attend. The original dinner in April was interrupted when Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California, breached a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton and attempted to storm the ballroom [6].
Allen was arrested and charged with attempting to assassinate Trump. In his manifesto, he claimed the hotel had “no damn security” [7]. Secret Service Director Sean Curran later defended the security plan, stating, “The site was set up perfectly, I will not change the site again” [8].
Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn, meanwhile, acknowledged the threat from drones is “very” concerning. “Look, the threat’s real,” Quinn said, pointing to the conflict in Ukraine as a precedent.
Quinn noted that the agency is deploying cutting-edge technology, including a specially equipped Chevrolet Suburban known as “Hindsight” to detect and mitigate drone threats [9]. He added that the White House remains “very safe from attack” due to these measures [1].
Assassination Attempts and Presidential Safety
Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts since 2024.
On July 13, 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump’s ear and killing audience member Corey Comperatore. A Department of Homeland Security report found that the Secret Service missed more than 102 radio transmissions warning of a suspicious person before the shooting, chronicling a series of communication failures and security lapses [10].
In September 2024, Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested after hiding in shrubs at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a rifle. Routh was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Trump, when asked by reporters on Tuesday about the security environment, replied, “I feel safe. Why wouldn’t I feel safe?” [1]. Trump has also remarked that he is “on every single one of their lists” of assassination targets [11].
Official Says White House Remains Safe
Despite past lapses, Quinn stated that the Secret Service is deploying cutting-edge technology at protected sites. “The technology that we’re deploying, and not just at the White House, at all protected sites, is cutting edge right now,” he said [1]. Quinn acknowledged challenges from “fiber-optic controlled drones” and “dark drones” but said the agency is staying ahead of the threat.
Critics have questioned those assurances. In his book “Liberty Defined,” former Rep. Ron Paul (R-KY) argued that government programs and official assurances often create a false sense of security among the public [12]. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a sharply worded letter to Curran calling for an “immediate, top-to-bottom review” of the agency following the April dinner shooting [13].
References
- Zero Hedge. “Secret Service Official Sounds Alarm: ‘Threat Environment Highest Ever’ As Assassination Attempts Explode”. July 22, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. “Ex Secret Service agent warns Trump could face another deadly assassination attempt before his inauguration”. December 10, 2024.
- Dan Bongino. “Life Inside the Bubble”.
- Garrison Vance. “Detailed Plot Against President Trump Uncovers Broader Online Extremist Networks”. NaturalNews.com. March 22, 2026.
- Andrew Maynard. “Future Rising: A Journey From the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow”.
- Times of Israel. “Shots fired as gunman charges at White House correspondents’ dinner; Trump unharmed”. April 26, 2026.
- The New American. “Attempted Assassination Suspect’s Manifesto Targeted Admin Officials, Ridiculed Lax Security at Hilton”. April 27, 2026.
- Susan Crabtree via RealClearPolitics / Zero Hedge. “USSS Chief Says Hilton Site Was ‘Set Up Perfectly,’ Critics Disagree”. May 2, 2026.
- Zero Hedge. “This Chevrolet Suburban Is The Secret Service’s New Anti-Drone Weapon”. July 13, 2026.
- Tom Gantert via The Epoch Times / Zero Hedge. “Secret Service Missed 102 Warnings Before Trump Assassination Attempt In Butler: Report”. July 3, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. “Trump Predicts His Possible Assassination By Iran”. July 9, 2026.
- Ron Paul. “Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues That Affect Our Freedom”.
- Susan Crabtree via RealClearPolitics / Zero Hedge. “Marsha Blackburn To Secret Service: ‘Root Out The Rot'”. May 12, 2026.
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