The Secret Service says threats against the people it protects jumped just over 40% this year, and the drones are not far behind.
Story Snapshot
- Secret Service leaders report a sharp rise in threats to protectees.
- About 10,000 threats have been logged since January, according to the director.
- Deputy director says the drone threat is real and growing.
- The agency is fielding new tools, including a system to disable hostile drones.
Leaders go on record about the spike in threats
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said threats against full-time protectees are up just over 40% year over year. He called the increase massive. He also said the agency has tracked about 10,000 threats since January. He made both points in a joint interview with Deputy Director Matt Quinn on 60 Minutes, the pair’s first on-air interview together about the current threat picture. Those numbers explain the rising tempo around presidential security.
Quinn backed up the warning with a clear message on drones. He was asked how concerned he was. He said, “Very.” Then he added, “The threat’s real.” He pointed to what drones have done on battlefields like Ukraine, and to intelligence that shows how the risk could spread. He said the question is not if, but when, a drone is used against a high-profile target in the United States. That stance tracks with broader defense reporting about drone risks.
How the service is adapting in the open
The agency is not just talking about the risk. It is building and buying tools. CBS reported that Quinn is leading a multimillion-dollar effort to develop both offensive and defensive drone options. The package includes an artificial-intelligence and radar-guided system built to spot, disable, and capture hostile drones. This push mirrors a wider move across government to counter small unmanned aircraft near critical sites. The pace reflects the new math of low-cost threats and high-consequence targets.
The Secret Service also pointed to a live test under pressure. At the December Army-Navy game, with President Trump and members of Congress in the stands, agents used electronic jamming to bring down a drone that entered protected airspace. The report did not list the operator or technical details. But it did show that the team will act fast to keep airspace clean when the principal is on site. That is the kind of muscle memory events demand.
Why the surge matters for policy, resources, and law
A 40% rise in threats means more screening, more interviews, and more digital triage. That workload expands the need for analysts, agents, and tools. The Secret Service’s recent budget push stresses better tech, stronger standards, and training to match larger events and faster risks. That aligns with the agency’s testimony on near-term needs to harden major venues and keep pace with drones and online threat streams. The job is simple to state and hard to do: stop every attack, every time.
American conservative values call for two things at once: protect the president and protect the public’s liberty. Strong border fencing and firm venue perimeters do not conflict with free speech. They backstop it. When the Secret Service names drones as a real threat, common sense says give them the tools to detect and defeat them, within the law. The public should also expect tight oversight on cost, performance, and civil liberties. Security must be strong and narrow, not broad and vague.
The drone problem is cheap, quiet, and fast
Small drones can fly low, blend into noise, and carry cameras or payloads. They are easy to buy and hard to spot with legacy radars. That is why the agency is chasing layered defenses that mix sensors, radios, and rapid takedown options. Congress and the executive branch face a clear task: keep lawful counter-drone authority current, make sure training is real, and demand data on what works and what fails. A weak link invites a copycat. A strong link deters it.
SECRET SERVICE SOUNDS ALARM ON SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS
Threats against Secret Service protectees have surged more than 40% in the past year, and agency leaders say social media is helping reshape the danger.
"The world is different than what it was 20 years ago," Director Sean…
— Erik Hoffmann (@TheErikHoffmann) October 12, 2026
One caveat deserves a clear lane marker: the interview did not publish a detailed dataset behind the 40% figure or the 10,000 count, including how the agency defines a threat bucket. That does not change the present stakes. It sets the table for oversight to press for definitions, categories, and outcomes. Better categories sharpen the mission and the spend. They also help the public understand what changed: more danger, more detection, or both.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, paramountpressexpress.com, gao.gov, docs.house.gov, congress.gov
