US president Donald Trump has revoked secret service protection for former vice-president Kamala Harris, a senior White House official said on Friday.
Former vice-presidents typically have federal government protection for six months after leaving office, while ex-presidents do so for life.
But then president Joe Biden signed a directive quietly, at Ms Harris’s request, that had extended protection for her beyond the traditional six months, according to another source.
Mr Trump, a Republican, defeated Ms Harris, a Democrat, in the 2024 presidential election.
RM Block
The move to drop Ms Harris’s protection comes as the former vice-president, who became the Democratic nominee last summer after a chaotic series of events that led to Mr Biden dropping out of the contest, is about to embark on a book tour for her memoir, titled 107 Days.
The tour has 15 stops, including visits to London and Toronto.
The book, which references the historically short length of her presidential campaign, will be released on September 23rd, and the tour begins the following day.
It is not unusual for protection to continue well beyond the statutory six-month window, particularly when former officials face credible and ongoing threats.
But Mr Trump’s moves have stood out for timing and targets.
During his second presidency, he has repeatedly cut off security for figures who have fallen from favour, including his erstwhile national security adviser, John Bolton, and members of Mr Biden’s family, including the former president’s adult children.
The decision to strip Ms Harris of protection is sure to raise alarms among security experts who view continuity of protection as essential in a polarised climate.
A senior Trump administration official said an executive memorandum was issued on Thursday to the department of homeland security ending Ms Harris’s security detail and security services.
Those had been extended from six to 18 months by the Biden administration, so they would have ended in July 2026; however, they will now be terminated on Monday.
Ms Harris lives in the Los Angeles area. The city’s Democratic mayor, Karen Bass, called Mr Trump’s decision “another act of revenge following a long list of political retaliation” and warned that it would endanger Ms Harris.
Ms Bass said she plans to work with California governor Gavin Newsom, a fellow Democrat, to ensure the former vice-president’s safety, and she and Ms Harris have already been in touch about the issue, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.
While she lost to Mr Trump last November, Ms Harris is seen as a potential candidate for 2028, and she has already announced she will not run for California governor in 2026.
Ms Harris is also a former senator, California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney.
Last year was a particularly politically charged environment with Mr Trump facing two assassination attempts, and the secret service played a crucial role in protecting him.
While questions remain about how the agency prepared for a July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a secret service counter sniper shot a gunman dead after he fired eight shots, killing an attendee, wounding two others and grazing Mr Trump’s right ear.
Mr Trump chose one of the agents who rushed to the stage to shield him, Sean Curran, to lead the agency earlier this year.
The news of the security revocation was first reported by CNN. – Reuters
