Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, now has her own Secret Service team.
CBS News reported the new detail began only days ago. No clear reason was given, but the timing has drawn attention.
Last week, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was killed. It is not known if his death played a role in this decision. The White House stayed quiet, and the Secret Service also gave no answers.
This move came as Trump’s team asked Congress for more security funding. After Kirk’s shooting, they pushed for $58 million to cover extra protection for the executive and judicial branches. Plans to boost security for lawmakers had already been moving since August.
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The concern over safety grew stronger after what happened at a D.C. restaurant. Early last week, anti-Trump protesters got inside Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab while Trump and his top officials were eating.
Members of the activist group Code Pink shouted at Trump, calling him “Hitler” and yelling “Free D.C.! Free Palestine!” at the table where Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were seated.
Republicans quickly raised alarms. Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna demanded answers about how protesters got so close.
“How are they allowed that close to him? Where was Secret Service and was there someone in Secret Service that leaked his location? This needs to be looked into,” she wrote on X.
Did someone leak the President’s location to the organization that showed up to protest him? Was this code pink? How are they allowed that close to him?
Where was Secret Service and was there someone in Secret Service that leaked his location? This needs to be looked into. pic.twitter.com/kLvmOCOZ2P
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) September 10, 2025
Secret Service later defended its actions. Officials said every guest inside had been screened, including the protesters, who used a reservation to gain entry.
“The situation inside the restaurant was quickly resolved by Secret Service personnel who were actively engaged in ensuring the president’s safety and the dinner continued without further incident,” the agency said. “The safety and security of the president remains our highest priority.”
Even so, Trump admitted the protest unsettled him.
“Yeah, I think they were a threat,” he told reporters while flying back from the U.K.
Leavitt’s new protection is unusual but not the first case. In 2018, Trump ordered temporary Secret Service coverage for Sarah Sanders after she was refused service at a Virginia restaurant. By last year, the agency was guarding 36 people in politics and their families.
At the same time, Trump has shown he is ready to cut others off. Just weeks ago, he removed Kamala Harris’s detail. Her security had been extended by President Joe Biden beyond the six-month rule for former vice presidents.
The change left Harris without protection right before her national book tour for 107 Days, a memoir of the 2024 campaign.
Trump also removed security for former Cabinet members Mike Pompeo and John Bolton. He even cut details for Ashley and Hunter Biden, the adult children of President Biden.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
