Politics
GAO report finds gaps and delays in Secret Service protection policy updates
A government watchdog found the agency routinely missed policy review deadlines and failed to document decisions on emerging threats like drones.
The short version
- A Government Accountability Office report identified significant gaps and delays in how the Secret Service revises its protective security policies.
- The agency responded to 83 security incidents between 2015 and 2025, but revised policies after only 25 of them and failed to document why it took no action on the rest.
- The findings highlight missed opportunities to formalize responses to emerging drone threats prior to the 2024 assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
- The Department of Homeland Security concurred with the report's three recommendations and stated plans to implement policy changes.
Key facts
- The Secret Service updated its protection policies after only 25 of 83 security incidents investigated between 2015 and 2025, omitting documentation for the remaining incidents.[Associated Press]
- The agency failed to revise eight of its 22 protective policies within its mandatory four-year deadline.[Associated Press]
- An overseas security agreement between the Secret Service and the Diplomatic Security Service has not been updated since 1991, despite requiring annual reviews.[Associated Press]
- The Department of Homeland Security agreed with all three recommendations in the GAO report and indicated it will carry them out.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The timeline and specific procedural details of how the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service will implement the GAO's recommendations remain unspecified.[Associated Press]