After what Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called an “act of revenge” by Donald Trump in his nixing Secret Service detail for Kamala Harris, the former vice president will reportedly be protected by California Highway Patrol (CHP) instead. According to law-enforcement sources who spoke to LA Times‘ Richard Winton, the move was in direct response to Trump’s nonsensical order.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will receive protection from the California Highway Patrol after Trump revoked her Secret Service protection, law enforcement sources said Friday. California officials put in place a plan to provide Harris with dignitary protection after Trump ended an arrangement that gave his opponent in last year’s election extended Secret Service security coverage. Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday ending Harris’ protection as of Monday, according to sources not authorized to discuss the security matter.
via Richard Winton, LA Times
Before the Biden-Harris Administration term ended, Harris apparently asked for, and was granted, extended Secret Service protection that would remain active until 2026.
Former vice presidents usually get Secret Service protection for six months after leaving office, while ex-presidents get protection for life. But before his term ended, then-President Biden signed an order to extend Harris’ protection beyond six months to July 2026. Aides to Harris had asked Biden for the extension. Without it, her security detail would have ended last month, according to sources.
via Richard Winton, LA Times
Trump’s revocation of Harris’ security detail coincides with a forthcoming international tour to promote her memoir, “107 Days,” which is a reference to the length of her presidential campaign.
The move is also notable because the threat of political violence in America remains active (fanned and inflamed by Trump himself) as my TrumpFile colleague Gabriel Alexander reported a few days ago: “Not only is there a heightened threat environment, ironically demonstrated with the [incident involving Trump] in Butler—and the assassination of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman—there were particular security concerns relating to Harris, as the first African-American woman to serve as Vice President.”
Governor Gavin Newsom, who would reportedly be the one to approve such a move in mobilizing CHP, neither confirmed nor denied LA Times’ reporting.
AUTHOR FOOTNOTE
In addition to being obsessed with blackmail and revenge, Donald also enjoys garden-variety vindictiveness too. Get a load of this passage, also from Richard Winton:
During his second term, Trump stripped Secret Service protection from several one-time allies turned critics, including his former national security adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom have been targeted by Iran. In March, he ended Secret Service protection for Biden’s children—Hunter and Ashley Biden—who both had been granted extended protection by their father. Harris’ predecessor, former Vice President Mike Pence, did not have extended Secret Service protection beyond the standard six months.
Who’s choice was it not to extend Pence’s security detail? Donny’s marauding hillbillies wanted to hang him on January 6th, so that decision makes absolutely no sense.
Back to the matter at hand: Domestic terror is real and getting worse because the current white house occupant (but certainly not permanent, despite what he falsely claims and hopes) wants it that way. Removing MVP Harris’ detail, at least to my eye, is an invitation for bad actors to cause more harm.
