When President Donald Trump rolls down Pennsylvania Avenue in the inaugural parade Monday, the U.S. Secret Service will be tasked with keeping him safe.
The past attempts on Trump’s life heighten the threat level.
“As a Secret Service agent, we're the guardians of our democracy, and I think everybody, you know, July 13 kind of gave us a wake-up call on that,” said Special Agent Matt McCool, who is in charge of the president’s safety on Inauguration Day. “And that could absolutely never happen again.”
“So, we're in a heightened threat environment,” McCool said. “This is going to be the most protected NSSE (national special security event) ever.”
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For example, they’re prepared for drone threats.
“That's been a hot topic lately, but we're mitigating that threat,” McCool said.
He wouldn’t say how.
“I can tell you that our air security division that we stood up, they're working day and night to make sure that we're ahead of the bad guys and that we're ready for all threats, right?” McCool said. “Our job is no fail.”
Another threat that’s top of mind is the lone offender.
“So training, right, is important,” McCool said. “Communication, super important. The public can help, right? If they see something that doesn't look right, tell the first law enforcement person you see. And if it's bad enough, call 911. That's a big piece of it, those things. But it's a constant threat.”
For decades, the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division has used white vehicles. The Secret Service vehicles assigned to the president's motorcade will have a new look: black and gold.
“It's sleek, it looks professional, it's a bolder presence, but really, it brings us more consistent in our marked fleet with our protective fleet, right?” said Lt. Matthew Lehr of Secret Service Fleet Operations. “A president’s limousine is black. All of those motorcade vehicle assets we put in there are black. So, it gives us a look that's more in line with that when we're conducting our motorcade operations.”
The Secret Service agents who drive the presidential limo go through rigorous training, as well as practicing for the parade.
“So, that protective driving course, which is done out at our rally training center, is a very technical course, and it definitely teaches you a lot about the dynamics of a vehicle, about the weight management,” Sehr said. “And it goes into not just the driving of the vehicle, but obviously the positioning and where you need to be in a motorcade.”
The Secret Service vehicles escorting the president Monday will be among the first fleet to have the new look. Over the next few years, the changes will be fully integrated into the agency’s fleet nationwide.
