Secret Service: Threats up 40% so far in 2026

The U.S. Secret Service is facing the most dangerous threat environment in its history, with investigations into threats against government officials up 40% this year, agency leaders said Tuesday.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the volume and severity of threats have reached unprecedented levels during his time with the agency.

"The numbers at this agency are certainly something I have never seen in my 24-year career," Curran said at a press briefing before the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. "They're off the charts."

Curran said the increasingly volatile security environment extends well beyond the agency's federally protected officials.

"I think the environment has become very volatile, and that's just across the board," he said. "I think not just our protectees but local officials — the threat picture and environment is as large as I've ever seen it."

A senior Secret Service official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity before the public briefing, said the agency has opened about 10,000 cases involving threats against government officials so far in 2026, according to CNBC.

That includes investigations involving Supreme Court justices and other public officials.

The official said the figure represents a 40% increase over the same period last year.

"What we're seeing now is something I've never seen before," the official said. "They're increasing in volume and complexity."

The Secret Service is responsible for protecting the president, vice president, their families, former presidents, and other designated officials, while also investigating threats against protected officials and other government leaders.

The comments come amid heightened concerns over political violence and the safety of public officials following a series of high-profile attacks and assassination attempts in recent years.

Last week, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told a House appropriations subcommittee that the threat level facing her and other members of the federal judiciary "is really high."

Federal officials have repeatedly warned that threats fueled by political polarization and online extremism have become more frequent and more sophisticated, requiring expanded coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Secret Service officials did not provide further details of the threats or identify which officials have been targeted most frequently. They also declined to say how many of the roughly 10,000 investigations have resulted in arrests or criminal charges.

Curran said the agency continues to adapt to the changing security landscape as investigators confront a growing number of complex cases targeting public officials.