Secret Service Director Sean Curran expressed confidence in the agency’s ability to resolve security failures that led to two assassination attempts on President Donald Trump last year, Fox News reports.
His statement comes in the wake of incidents that have raised questions about the effectiveness of the agency’s protective measures.
“I’m confident in the men and women in Secret Service, our partners on the Hill, the secretary and the cooperation from everyone else,” Curran told Fox News in an interview Wednesday. “I’m confident in the process.”
Curran, who himself became a familiar face after the first attempt on Trump’s life, was a special agent in charge of the Trump detail before his appointment as director. He described the July attack at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as a “life-changing” event.
During that incident, gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots from a rooftop approximately 130 yards away, killing one person and seriously injuring two others. A bullet grazed President Trump’s ear. Agents quickly rushed to the stage to secure the then-candidate.
Two months later, another threat emerged near Trump’s golf course. A Secret Service advance agent spotted what appeared to be a rifle protruding from the tree line and opened fire, causing a man to flee the scene. Ryan Wesley Routh was subsequently charged in September with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and having a firearm with an obliterated serial number, fueling suspicions he was planning another assassination attempt.
Director Curran emphasized that he takes threats against protectees seriously and is committed to developing innovative strategies to counter potential dangers, particularly those emanating from the Iranian government.
Acknowledging the need to bolster the agency’s ranks amidst federal government job cuts, the Secret Service recently launched a recruitment ad campaign during the Super Bowl. The ad, directed by “Transformers” director Michael Bay, aims to attract new talent to the agency.
