U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran announced Wednesday that the agency has launched over 10,000 investigations into threats against its protectees so far this year, marking a 40% jump compared to 2025. Curran described the current threat environment as 'off the charts' and 'as large as I’ve ever seen it,' underscoring the heightened risks facing top officials and political figures.
'The environment has become very volatile, and that’s just across the board,' Curran told reporters, pointing to a surge in online threats, foreign actors, lone wolves, and individuals driven by ideological grievances. The agency also reported nearly ten times the number of mental health-related interventions involving people who threatened protected individuals compared to the previous year.
The briefing comes just days before the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which was rescheduled after an assassination attempt on President Trump. That incident was the third attempt on Trump’s life since July 2024, when he was targeted on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania. A Secret Service officer who helped thwart that assassination bid is set to receive a WHCA award.
Earlier this year, the Secret Service said it foiled a plot to attack the 'Freedom 250 UFC' event on the White House lawn during Trump’s 80th birthday celebration last month. Deputy Director Matthew Quinn emphasized that the event 'was never at risk,' but the foiled plot highlighted the ongoing security challenges.
When asked about the potential use of drones to attack protectees, Quinn acknowledged the threat is real but insisted the White House remains 'very safe from attack.' He noted that the agency is deploying cutting-edge technology at all protected sites, including the White House, to counter evolving drone tactics. 'You’re talking fiber-optic controlled drones now, dark drones. So it’s a constant chase to keep up with it,' Quinn said. 'But we’re doing a tremendous job to stay ahead of the threat.'
The rise in threats comes amid a broader climate of political volatility, with recent incidents including sentences for death threats against Representative Nancy Mace and a negligence claim filed by a bystander shot by Secret Service near the White House. The agency’s workload has intensified as it balances protection duties with an increasingly hostile threat landscape.
Curran’s remarks signal that the Secret Service is bracing for continued high alert, with officials citing a combination of domestic extremism, foreign interference, and the ease of online radicalization as key drivers. The 10,000-plus investigations represent a stark escalation, even as the agency works to modernize its defenses against emerging technologies like drones.
