Top Trump figures at odds over future of Secret Service chief amid claims of lax security at dinner, report claims

Source: The Independent

Sunday 26 April 2026 15:51 EDT


New scrutiny is falling on the shoulders of the Secret Service and its chief, Sean Curran, after Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Publicly, members of the administration praised the Secret Service for agents’ quick response on Saturday after a suspected gunman charged the ballroom in the basement of the Washington Hilton, where hundreds of journalists and administration VIPs including the president and vice president were seated for the annual event. No persons inside the ballroom were injured, and the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was tackled before getting inside.

In private, however, Real Clear Politics reports that seasoned security officials are raising alarms over the Secret Service and the agency’s ability to protect the president. Numerous sources familiar with presidential security protocols bashed Saturday night’s security apparatus at the Hilton in comments to the publication, echoing some criticism leveled by attendees and politicians on social media after the event.

The report also claimed that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles plans to blame the president’s sons, who reportedly pushed for Curran’s appointment, if the president decides to fire him. Wiles, as Trump’s top aide, oversees the Secret Service and also faced some criticism for allowing Curran to remain in his job this long. Curran took over the agency last year, just months after the president was nearly assassinated in Butler, Pennsylvania during a campaign event.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/secret-service-white-house-correspondents-b2965236.html