White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been assigned a Secret Service detail, a change implemented in recent days, according to CBS News. It remains unclear whether the recent killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk directly influenced the decision, but the timing has raised questions.
The move comes as the Trump administration pushes Congress to approve a $58 million security boost for members of the executive and judicial branches. A separate increase for legislative security has been under discussion since August.
The heightened focus on security follows several incidents that rattled officials. One occurred early last week when anti-Trump protesters managed to get close to the president and senior Cabinet members inside a Washington, D.C. restaurant.
Members of the Code Pink activist group entered Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab while President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were dining. The demonstrators shouted “Free D.C.! Free Palestine!” and called Trump “Hitler.”
The protest immediately raised concerns among Trump allies. “How are they allowed that close to him? Where was the Secret Service, and was there someone in the Secret Service who leaked his location? This needs to be looked into,” Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna wrote on X.
In response, the Secret Service told the Daily Beast that all patrons, including the protestors, were screened before Trump’s arrival. “The situation inside the restaurant was quickly resolved by Secret Service personnel who were actively engaged in ensuring the president’s safety, and the dinner continued without further incident,” a spokesperson said.
“The safety and security of the president remains our highest priority.” Still, Trump acknowledged that the episode left him uneasy. “Yeah, I think they were a threat,” he said Thursday while speaking aboard Air Force One on his return from the U.K.
Leavitt is not the first press secretary to be given personal protection. In 2018, Sarah Sanders received temporary Secret Service security after she was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant. As of last year, the agency protected 36 individuals.
Trump, however, has also used his authority to reduce coverage. Late last month, he revoked Kamala Harris’ detail, which former President Joe Biden had extended beyond the legally required six-month term following her vice presidency. That move came shortly before Harris began her national book tour for 107 Days, her account of the 2024 campaign.
The president has also previously withdrawn protection from former Cabinet officials Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, as well as Ashley and Hunter Biden, the adult children of Biden.