Saturday, August 30, 2025 - Former US Vice President Kamala Harris will no longer receive Secret Service protection after President Donald Trump revoked an extension granted by former President Joe Biden, according to a letter reviewed by CNN.
The letter, titled “Memorandum for the Secretary of Homeland
Security” and dated Thursday, states: “You are hereby authorized to discontinue
any security-related procedures previously authorized by Executive Memorandum,
beyond those required by law, for the following individual, effective September
1, 2025: Former Vice President Kamala D. Harris.”
Under federal law, former vice presidents receive six months
of protection after leaving office, a period that ended for Harris on July 21.
Biden had extended her coverage for an additional year through a directive not
previously made public.
Harris, who soon embarks on a multi-city book tour for her
memoir 107 Days, will lose not only the agents assigned to guard her in person,
but also access to constant threat intelligence, including analysis of
in-person situations, emails, texts, and social media, according to people
familiar with her security operations. Her Los Angeles home will also no longer
be under federal protection.
“The Vice President is grateful to the United States Secret
Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to
safety,” said Kirsten Allen, a senior adviser to Harris.
Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, lost his personal detail on
July 21 under standard provisions for a former vice president’s spouse.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the change
late Thursday. Bob Salladay, a spokesperson for Newsom, condemned the move,
saying, “The safety of our public officials should never be subject to erratic,
vindictive political impulses.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticized the decision,
calling it “another act of revenge following a long list of political
retaliation in the form of firings, the revoking of security clearances and
more. This puts the former Vice President in danger and I look forward to
working with the Governor to make sure Vice President Harris is safe in Los
Angeles.”
The White House and Secret Service did not immediately
respond to CNN’s requests for comment. Trump’s revocation comes amid heightened
public exposure for Harris, marking her first extended public appearances since
leaving office. The move raises questions over the cost and logistics of
providing comparable private security, which could run into millions of dollars
annually.
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