President Donald Trump has once again left his critics stunned. This time by extending a privilege to his White House Press Secretary that many argue no one in her position should ever receive. The move has set off a storm of outrage, with questions over who “deserves” such treatment.
The timing was no accident. Just weeks after conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk was gunned down at a Utah university on September 10, Trump made a show of rewarding Karoline Leavitt with her own Secret Service detail.
Social media users were not pleased with Trump’s gift.
Many simply asked “why???” while others asked if she showed any gratitude. “Did you thank VP Kamala Harris for the security detail?,” one Threads user wondered.
“She probably needs one for all daily lies she spreads. She bound to piss someone off, like maybe Epstein victims. Just a thought,” a Thread user responded to the news.
“She gets it now, but if you stood up to trump (fauchi milley harris etc) you get it taken away.. yep got it…,” another replied.
“She doen’t deserve one…No pressSec ever had one, so why does she need one They’re running scared…” Threads user Dekwadoes proclaimed.
“Here’s a thought. Don’t lie through your dental implants throughout the day and you wouldn’t need it,” this Threads user pointed out.
Here’s what Threads user John Acosta thinks and, of course, it’s related to the Epstein files. “Fear of the public. Americans are catching on to their lies just to protect the convicted felon. Release the Epstein files. Trump will go down taking many of his accomplices. Most of his cabinet unaware they’ve set themselves up for prison time.”
Leavitt has not commented on the new security protection, but few White House press secretaries have ever had protective details, however Trump’s former press secretary during his first term in office, current Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, received one for her home in 2018.
Kirk’s death has also provoked major concerns over the safety of prominent people in public.
Trump immediately requested $58 million in additional funding for increased security for the executive and judicial branches of government over increased political threats.
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration notified congressional leaders that they wanted the funds to cover extra security operations by the U.S. Marshal Service for Supreme Court justices. They also said lawmakers should consider more funding for Capitol police.
Still, Trump’s move toward Leavitt highlights the irony. Not only did he revoke protection for former President Joe Biden’s two adult children, but he also pulled Vice President Kamala Harris’ detail in August.
Former presidents receive a security detail for life, but vice presidents and presidents’ family members generally only receive protection for six months after the president leaves office, according to CNN. That period ended for Harris in late July, but Biden had extended protection for her for an additional year through a directive he signed right before he left office.
Trump cancelled the extension without any pushback from the Secret Service because a source told CNN there were no security concerns.
However, Harris’ team sees it differently. As the first woman and first Black woman to serve as vice president, her security team faced elevated risks even before she became the Democratic nominee. Those concerns only intensified once she launched her campaign and remained high into January, with emotions over the election still raw.
The revoked security leaves Harris vulnerable right before she’s scheduled to start a major book tour for her new memoir “107 Days” which is set for release next week.
