WASHINGTON – Former Vice President Kamala Harris is losing her Secret Service protection, just as she's about to start a national book tour — and the decision is coming straight from former President Donald Trump.

Harris, who made history as the first Black woman to serve as vice president, had her protection extended beyond the usual six months after leaving office. That extension came from a directive signed by President Joe Biden before he left office. But on August 28, Trump issued an order to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, instructing her to end Harris’ security detail starting September 1, a federal law enforcement source confirmed to USA TODAY. This move is raising serious concerns among current and former Secret Service officials, who say it could put Harris at risk — especially given the gap between the protection offered by the Secret Service and what any private security firm could realistically provide. “Private security just can’t match what the Secret Service offers,” said A.T. Smith, a private security expert who served as deputy director of the Secret Service from 2012 to 2015. “You could spend millions a year and still not come close.” According to Smith and other former agents, it’s not just about the number of bodyguards. The Secret Service has access to intelligence and threat assessments from local, state, and federal agencies — information private firms don’t receive. Secret Service teams also have unmatched training and resources to deal with everything from cyberattacks to chemical and biological threats. “Whether it's close personal protection, securing large areas, motorcades, or technical security measures,” Smith said, “private firms just can’t match that level.” Is this legal? Yes — at least technically. Under the Former Vice President Protection Act of 2008, former vice presidents (along with their spouses and children under 16) are only entitled to Secret Service protection for six months after leaving office. For Kamala Harris, that six-month period ended on July 21, 2025. However, Biden had quietly extended her protection for another year before leaving office. Trump’s recent order overrides that extension — something he appears to have the legal authority to do, according to the federal official. Harris isn’t the only one This isn’t the first time Trump has revoked Secret Service protection from a high-profile individual. On his very first day back in office, he pulled protection from John Bolton, his former National Security Adviser — even though Bolton has been a confirmed target of Iranian assassination plots due to his role in the 2020 U.S. strike that killed a top Iranian general.

NEWS