Trump to Appoint Sean Curran as Head of US Secret Service
Curran was captured in a photograph while protecting presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, following the initial assassination attempt against Trump.
WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump is set to appoint Sean Curran, currently the U.S. Secret Service special agent leading his personal protective detail, to serve as the agency’s director, as reported by multiple sources.
In his present capacity, Curran oversees all Secret Service personnel and resources dedicated to Trump’s protection and accompanies him everywhere. He remains in close proximity to Trump, typically just a few steps behind, and travels with him in his armored vehicle. Curran was among the first Secret Service agents to rush the stage and shield Trump on July 13, 2024, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a would-be assassin attempted to shoot him, a moment captured in photographs of the event. On January 17, members of the Trump family revealed that Curran would be appointed by Trump as the Director of the U.S. Secret Service, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.
A number of elected officials from both the Democratic and Republican parties have criticized the Secret Service for its failure to prevent the assailants from bringing weapons within range of Trump during the two assassination attempts throughout his 2024 presidential campaign. In the first attempt, multiple shots were fired at Trump, with one grazing his right ear; tragically, one audience member was killed, and two others sustained injuries. The second attempt took place on September 15 at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Currently, an independent review process, initiated by President Joe Biden after the first incident, is in progress. Members of Congress have called for changes to the leadership of the Secret Service following these events. The previous director, Kimberly Ann Cheatle, resigned after bipartisan criticism from the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in July.
Little is publicly known about Curran beyond his tenure at the Secret Service and his role in leading Trump’s protective detail.
Republican lawmakers have commended the announcement, which has not yet been officially made by Trump on his platform TruthSocial.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) shared similar sentiments.
Karoline Leavitt, the designated White House press secretary as well as a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, did not immediately provide a comment.