U.S. Secret Service Reports 40% Surge in Threat Probes Targeting Protectees in 2026

Topline

The U.S. Secret Service announced a 40% increase in investigations into threats against its protectees this year, a warning issued just days before the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner following an April shooting that disrupted the previous event.

Key Facts

During a briefing with several media outlets, Director Sean Curran said the agency has opened more than 10,000 investigations into threats against individuals under its protection.

Curran described the threat level as “off the charts” and said the agency is operating under a heightened threat environment.

In addition to the 40% increase in cases, mental‑health‑related interventions are about ten times higher than they were during the same period in 2025.

The agency cited multiple causes for the surge, including online threats, foreign threats, lone‑actor incidents, ideological grievances and mental‑health‑linked cases.

Officials also highlighted drones as an emerging threat vector, noting that a group of alleged plotters planned to use them in a foiled effort to attack the White House UFC event last month.

What Do We Know About The Upcoming WHCA Dinner?

The rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is set for Friday night, featuring “significantly enhanced safety measures and new access procedures.” After the April attack, the venue has been switched from the Washington Hilton to the Waldorf Astoria (formerly the Trump International Hotel). Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn told reporters the event should be seen not as a “redo” but as a “presidential site” that will host Cabinet members and other protectees. While Quinn did not detail specific new protocols, he pointed to increased threats against former President Trump from foreign actors, including Iran, amid the ongoing war.

Key Background

The April White House Correspondents’ Dinner was abruptly halted when a gunman breached a security checkpoint and exchanged fire with Secret Service agents. The president and senior cabinet officials were swiftly evacuated, and the event was cancelled before any speeches or award presentations. The shooter, identified as 31‑year‑old Cole Tomas Allen of California, was taken into custody. Federal prosecutors have charged Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump, assaulting a Secret Service agent, and related weapons offenses. In his alleged manifesto, Allen mocked the event’s security, writing that there was “no damn security. Not in transport. Not in the hotel. Not in the event.”

tangent

In a January report, U.S. Capitol Police documented a third straight year of rising threats against members of Congress. The agency opened 14,938 investigations into concerning statements, behaviors, and communications targeting lawmakers, their families, staff, and the Capitol Complex. This marks a sharp increase from 9,474 cases in 2024 and 8,008 cases in 2023.

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