Secret Service says threats to US officials are up 40% this year

The U.S. Secret Service has handled about 10,000 threat cases involving government officials so far in 2026, a senior agency official said Wednesday, according to a pool report by MS NOW. The official said the figure is about 40% higher than in the same period last year, underscoring a heavier security burden around President Donald Trump, Supreme Court justices and other protected figures.

The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity before a public briefing, said the agency’s protectees face a threat environment that is “the highest we’ve ever seen.” The official also said threats are rising in both “volume and complexity.”

The briefing took place before Friday’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, where Trump is expected to appear. The annual dinner had initially been set for April, but it was suspended after an armed man breached a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton while Trump was attending, according to CNBC’s account of the incident.

The man, Cole Tomas Allen of California, was stopped by Secret Service officers before he reached the ballroom where Trump and senior administration officials were gathered. Allen has been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump.

The senior Secret Service official said the agency has also recorded a sharp increase in mental health committals involving people suspected of making threats against protectees, with such cases rising by a factor of 10. The official did not provide a base number for those committals.

Drone risks draw agency focus

Matthew Quinn, the Secret Service’s deputy director, told reporters during the public portion of the briefing that the agency is highly concerned about the possibility of drones being used to attack protectees. Asked how concerned the agency was, Quinn answered, “Very.”

Quinn cited the use of drones in Ukraine as a warning for U.S. security planners and said, “It’s just a matter of time before it comes to the United States.” He also said the White House remains “very safe from attack.”

The Secret Service is deploying advanced technology at the White House and other protected locations, Quinn said. He described the challenge as a constant effort to keep pace with new drone capabilities, including fiber-optic controlled drones and “dark drones.”

Trump was asked Tuesday at the White House whether he feels safe after several attempts on his life. “I feel safe,” the president said. “Why wouldn’t I feel safe?”

Prior assassination attempts remain part of the backdrop

The security assessment follows two prior attacks involving Trump. On July 13, 2024, gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump narrowly avoided being killed, audience member Corey Comperatore died, and two other people were seriously injured.

Two months later, a Secret Service officer fired at a gunman who had been hiding in shrubs near the perimeter of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ryan Routh was convicted in federal court in Florida last September of attempting to assassinate Trump and other charges. He is serving a life sentence.

The latest comments also follow testimony last week from Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who told a House subcommittee that the threat level facing her and other federal judges “is really high.”

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.