Former Secret Service agent Richard Staropoli warned Thursday that President-elect Donald Trump could face a major security threat before his January inauguration, citing weaknesses in the current state of Secret Service operations. The comments come after two assassination attempts during Trump’s 2024 campaign, including one where a man armed with a rifle climbed a building near a rally.
Staropoli, speaking on America Reports, expressed serious concerns about the agency’s preparedness, describing it as a far cry from its earlier effectiveness. “The Secret Service that you see out there today is not the Secret Service of yesteryear. Somewhere along the line they’ve completely dropped the ball,” he said. Staropoli criticized the agency’s reliance on advanced technologies such as drones while neglecting basic, manpower-driven tactics that historically ensured presidential safety.
Staropoli warned of a potential attack “of a much bigger magnitude” than the attempt involving Thomas Matthew Crooks. “As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’d be alone in saying that I certainly can see something happening between now and inauguration day. And it’s not going to be some 20-year-old kid on the roof of a building that’s allowed to get within 100 yards. It’s going to be something of a much bigger magnitude and I don’t think the Secret Service is anywhere equipped to handle that situation,” Staropoli added.
