Secret Service Protection, Is the Bang Worth the Buck?

Following threats to their personal security, both Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson officially requested Secret Service protection as candidates for the Republican nomination for the presidency of the United States. The Secret Service is authorized by law to protect major party presidential candidates beginning 120 days before the general election. But today’s threat landscape has changed the way the Department of Homeland Security conducts business. In order for a nominee to receive Secret Service protection, federal criteria require:

• a public announcement of candidacy;
• the operation of a campaign that is active in at least 10 state primaries;
• at least $2 million in campaign contributions;
• the candidate has qualified for matching funds in the amount of at least $100,000;
• the candidate is seeking nomination of a qualified party;
• and the candidate is registering well in the public polls.

During the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, several candidates received Secret Service protection long before the 120-day period. During his first campaign, Barack Obama received a protective detail more than 500 days before the election. In 2012, several major Republican candidates were assigned a protection detail as early as February of that year. The Secret Service has established criteria to assist the DHS Secretary and the advisory committee in their decision-making since 2008. But how did we come to have protective details for presidential candidates?

Throughout our history, America has witnessed the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy. We have also witnessed failed assassination attempts on Presidents Jackson, Lincoln, Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Truman, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and George H. Bush. The Secret Service started protecting presidents over a century ago. These responsibilities were added following the 1901 assassination of William McKinley and were funded with tax dollars under the Sundry Civil Expenses Act for 1907.

In June of 1968, following the assassination of presidential nominee Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the Secret Service began protecting leading presidential nominees and their spouses. The evolution of the protective detail is based upon actual threats and acts of aggression against both the highest public office in the land and those who seek the position. It is designed to maintain the integrity of the democratic processes and the continuity of government. In November 2015, the Secret Service began providing enhanced protection to Ben Carson and Donald Trump since they both requested it following the receipt of death threats.

The Cost of Security
These protective details are paid out of public funds and are quite costly. Based on information from Conservative Review the cost of a Secret Service detail can run anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 per day. Obama’s protective detail started in May 2007, although federal officials were unaware of any specific threats against him, he did draw large crowds. Costs increased when the sitting senator traveled overseas throughout the campaign. During the same election cycle, the Secret Service asked for more budget dollars to meet the demands of providing protection for the candidates. In 2012, the Secret Service budget included $113.4 million for protective details during the presidential campaign, a figure that doubled the costs associated with the 2000 presidential campaign.

Of course, these estimates represent only the federal government’s expenses. The Secret Service often calls on other state and local agencies to assist in motorcades for campaign stops and debates. These resources tax local governments with overtime expenses, training, and security and transportation assets. State and local law enforcement often do not calculate the costs nor do they receive federal funds for their assistance. Local costs are often absorbed as part of the jurisdictions’ budget and the law enforcement agencies provide the services at the request of the Secret Service.

The Benefits of Protection
Secret Service protection does allow for expedited travel. It enables nominees to move quickly through airports and congested traffic with their government protection. With the Secret Service’s highly trained personnel, candidates are able to move swiftly, discreetly, and safely from one venue to the next without disrupting the normal flow of a city or a particular venue.

Paying for Protection
While the utilization of the Secret Service certainly saves campaign dollars since the nominee no longer has to bear the burden of funding a security contingent, it does spend from the public coffers. The real question is, as the campaign seasons grow longer and more candidates are requesting protection, are we overburdening the Secret Service and the federal budget with an unnecessary amount of security details? Do the financial costs outweigh the potential costs of traffic congestion, commotions in an airport or other venues where the candidate appears or is scheduled to appear? I am not advocating that some candidates are targets of sinister plots and attempts on their lives; I am just wondering where we draw the line. Do the American people bear the responsibility of protecting those seeking to be the President of the United States just because these candidates feel they need personal protection? The government set guidelines for providing the service, yet in recent years the limits have been stretched. Should the candidate reimburse the expenses associated with the protective detail, outside of the 120 days authorized by 18 U.S.C. 3056? The fact that the American taxpayer is strapped with the burden of a larger pool of candidates and ever-longer campaign periods should make us reconsider how these details are funded. The protective details spread Secret Service resources thin and consume large volumes of public funds as individuals seek to win an election. While the service seemed necessary in the wake of Senator Kennedy’s death, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate the mass expenditure of taxpayer dollars for the protection of just a few people.

KMH is a contributor to the Homeland Security HSVortex which is a platform where insiders from the policy, law enforcement, fire service and emergency management fields converge to discuss issues related to Homeland Security.

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