Former Secret Service agent Richard Staropoli has voiced serious concerns about the agency’s preparedness to protect President-elect Donald Trump. Following the narrowly thwarted July 13 assassination attempt, Staropoli warned that the Secret Service may not be equipped to handle more advanced threats.
“The Secret Service that you see out there today is not the Secret Service of yesteryear,” Staropoli said, pointing to what he described as systemic failures. He criticized the agency for moving away from traditional security tactics that emphasized human intelligence and thorough manpower deployment.
Staropoli suggested that future threats could be more sophisticated and harder to counter. “It’s not going to be some 20-year-old kid on the roof of a building,” he said, referencing the July 13 incident. “It’s going to be something of a much bigger magnitude.”
The July 13 attempt underscored the risks posed by lone actors, but Staropoli believes the Secret Service must also prepare for state-sponsored attacks. He highlighted the potential for highly organized efforts involving advanced weaponry, suggesting that existing protocols may fall short in such scenarios.
Border security concerns compound these challenges. With large numbers of unscreened individuals entering the country, critics argue that the risk of smuggling dangerous materials remains high. These vulnerabilities could pose significant risks to senior officials, particularly as the nation prepares for the inauguration.
Staropoli’s warning underscores the need for the Secret Service to reevaluate its strategies. As potential threats evolve, the agency must balance adapting to modern technologies while maintaining proven methods of securing high-profile figures.
