An entire re-organization needs to be done. Strip away all non-protective responsibilities of the Secret Service and form a new Federal Security Service that is responsible for the protection of all senior constitutional officials, their families, presidential/VP candidates, SCOTUS nominees, and visiting heads of state -- might also include federal buildings/courthouses security and Capital Hill police.

The Chief Justice, House Speaker, President Pro Tempore each has an additional allocation of personnel they can assign as needed to urgent protection requirements.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Thursday, July 25, 2024 - 10:49 pm: Edit

That would be the Federal Protective Services.

Just need to expand there mission.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, July 25, 2024 - 11:29 pm: Edit

Of course the current POTUS and VP have priority. As they should. I would bet a dollar that has always been the case.

I wonder how much it costs to protect a single residence. Or a single person.

I believe that the HOMES are protected 24/7 even if the resident isn't there at the time.

I think that:
1) Who gets USSS protection needs to be evaluated and pared down. I suspect that there has been some bloat to the list. Articles I have read suggest there are around 3 dozen protectees.
2) Supreme Court Justices do just fine with the US Marshals.
3) Senior Legislators should have Capitol Police. Obviously the home of Pelosi when she was Speaker wasn't protected; she was the second, after the VP, in the line of succession then.
4) SecDef should get military protection (as should the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs). When I was deployed in war zones, EVERY General Officer had a PSD; I guess some of them still do. I have a funny story about a General Officer visiting Romania and his PSD.
5) You get ONE HOME to be protected. Not a home PLUS vacation homes, golf courses, favorite bowling alley, tractor dealership, etc.
6) And a sensible sunset on protection should be considered. The USSS has to have enough data to determine when the threats have gone away. Is there still a threat to Jimmy Carter? Clinton? Bush II, Obama, or Trump (before he became a candidate again)?

By Chuck Strong (Raider) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 12:23 am: Edit

One protective service where their only mission is protecting federal officials and site security. That way they are focused on that one mission — not chasing down fugitives, conducting criminal investigations, consumer fraud, transporting prisoners, or pursuing counterfeiters. That way you can develop a culture of protective services from the ground up. This way this agency has its own unique organizational structure, training, equipment, intelligence gathering, comms, career development and progression. Ideally, it’s director comes out of the rank and file and not some flunky lawyer with political connections.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 01:03 am: Edit

Not sure on the SECDEF or the Service Secretaries but all the service chiefs and vice chiefs live on military bases and have a PSD that moves with them.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 01:05 am: Edit

Speaker of the House has a Capital Police PSD. I heard that the home is video monitored when she is DC.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 01:10 am: Edit

Trying to pull the protective branches out of half a dozen agencies into one new agency is not as easy as it sounds, nor would it instantly solve the problem.

It would cost more as it would require a whole new superstructure of supervisors, staff, support, and directors.

It would be harder to coordinate with the supported individual. Right now, SecDef is protected by military people. Bring in a new protective agency and that agency has to coordinate with the Pentagon instead of being part of it.

Also, The protective details as they exist can draw reinforcements from their own agency, who know the boss/protectee and what is important to him. A detail from a new protective agency is not going to be able to do that as easily.

Then again, if all of the protective people are in one agency, some agent is the best and another is just average. With the distant protective agency assigning personnel, every protectee is going to scream that he is getting the junior varsity.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 09:51 am: Edit

A MSM site posted thirty nine minutes ago that local Law Enforcement offered drone coverage on the day of the rally.

The proposed flight plan included a fly over of the roof top the shooter chose to use.

The Secret Service declined the offer.

This whole thing is beginning to remind me of the December 7th, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Just to ask the question, at what point does simple stupidity no longer explain the number of bad decisions made that day?

Anyone with thirty years of experience should know how bad things can happen, even with the best of intentions.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 04:31 pm: Edit

DO NOT REPLY
Update: Former President Obama has endorsed Kamala, ending speculation that Michelle might run.
Update: MSM is trying to revive the debunked myth that glass from a broken teleprompter not a bullet hit Former President Trump. Post-shooting photos clearly show both teleprompters undamaged and hospital reports confirm it was a bullet wound.
DO NOT REPLY

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 05:24 pm: Edit

The massive Park Fire in California, which has consumed over 278 square miles in two days, was apparently started by 42-year old Ronnie Dean Stout II, who pushed a flaming car into a ravine and calmly walked away. Stout has been arrested, pending arraignment on Monday.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 08:19 pm: Edit

Rail traffic around Paris at a practical stand still due to fires in control panels etc....

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 08:40 pm: Edit

DO NOT REPLY
Update: Trump says he has nothing to do with Project 2025, has not read it, does not endorse it or commit to it.
DO NOT REPLY

By Lawrence Bergen (Lar) on Friday, July 26, 2024 - 09:21 pm: Edit

RE: Park fire: Seems the news is claiming with the CA three strike rule 2 Felonies already, this guy has been jailed with no bail option (this will be his 3rd strike) so maybe this time the 20 years sentence will stick.

By Terry O'Carroll (Terryoc) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 11:11 am: Edit

Re: French rail disruptions. I have read that a few days ago French authorities arrested an FSB agent posing as a chef with a mission to disrupt the Olympics. The latest fires in control panels seem to be arson, provoking speculation that it's russian work. I note that pro-Ukrainian saboteurs have done similar things in an effort to disrupt russian rail logistics, which is an interesting coincidence. Very probably just be a coincidence of course.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 02:13 pm: Edit

I have read that a few days ago French authorities arrested an FSB agent posing as a chef with a mission to disrupt the Olympics.

Like BLM and current Hamas protesters, seems, even the Russians have the knack of doing more damage to their cause than drawing support....

By Mike Dowd (Mike_Dowd) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 03:33 pm: Edit

Bolo;

*ANYONE* causing disruption to people's daily lives do more damage to their own cause than garner support.

I'd exercise caution throwing about politically charged names of 'causes celebres', as Allie and Ally are known to lurk in these waters, and you could be provoking people who lean toward that end of the political spectrum.

Not everyone here is right-wing -or- American. Please remember that.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 03:50 pm: Edit

*ANYONE* causing disruption to people's daily lives do more damage to their own cause than garner support.

Yes, but they do it on the premise that people will turn to their side...
With the Russians currently, IIRC it would be because IOC banned athletes from competing under the Russian Umbrella because of doping....

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Monday, July 29, 2024 - 10:49 am: Edit

Don't forget sometimes "they" just want to hurt the other side, or engender conflict on their terms.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Monday, July 29, 2024 - 03:04 pm: Edit

Sometimes "they" don't really have well formed objectives or a well considered plan.

--Mike

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 - 10:47 am: Edit

I've also long believed that, in many cases, the people doing the outrageous acts that turn folks against their causes have been manipulated by people on the opposite side in order to generate the backlash against the activists.

GatorChompPhobia keeps me from giving examples.

("Hello, Allie and Ally! Yes, I know you're cute, hungry `Gators. No, I'm not going to feed you my feet..." )

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 - 03:47 pm: Edit

Latest info on the shooter in the attempted assassination is that he appears to have left "extreme" comments online in 2019 and 2020, including comments that "appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes" and "espouse political violence", per testimony of FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate to the Senate Homeland Security Committee and Judiciary Committee today.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 - 05:27 pm: Edit

I find Mr. Crook's asserted opinions, particularly with respect to "anti-immigration themes," and his murder target (DJT) to be incongruent. I'm curious to find out whether LE can figure out what his actual motivations were.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 12:21 am: Edit

I heard that the shooter posted support for mask mandates and open borders. HOWEVER, I did hear these reports from a pretty biased source, so I'd rather not post about it due to my GatorChompPhobia.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, August 01, 2024 - 03:04 am: Edit

Pre-Trial Deal for the 3 'Masterminds' of the 9/11 attack.

Just read about this - and it raises some interesting points.

'Why' does the US still tollerate Saudi and Pakistan basically doing as it pleases?

(Yes - simple answer is Politics).

Equally, why hasn't Iran tried to change sides - yes they support some 'freedom fighters*' in various areas - but it's not as if they pay to train up terrorists to fly planes into buildings etc.

(Probably religion is part of the reason).

What would happen if Iran was able to persaude the US (and Irsael) it was 'at worst neutral, at best friendly' (noting pre-1979, certainly they was friendly to Israel - so it's not impossible)?

* - One sides Terrorist is the other side's Freedom Fighters - winner normally declares what it was.


With the three atatckers going to a Military Trial, no dount more info will come out (giving the families of 9/11 a partial closure at least) - but it still surprises me just how much the West has allowed the Saudi's and Pakistan to get away with.

By Terry O'Carroll (Terryoc) on Thursday, August 01, 2024 - 06:35 am: Edit

A tornado hit a russian civilian airfield, damaging several planes and a helicopter. You can find some video online showing small planes being lifted up and bounced around alarmingly.

There are floods in the Urals, damaging or destroying wheat crops. Potato prices have been soaring in russia lately, implying shortages. Inflation in russia is already bad, but shortages driving prices even higher... a lot more people are going to go hungry.