Secret Service Director Warns of “Massive Increase” in Threats Against Officials in 2026

The director of the U.S. Secret Service is sounding the alarm over a sharp rise in violent threats against government officials this year, telling “60 Minutes” the agency is facing something it has never seen before.

Sean Curran, a 25-year veteran of the agency, sat down with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell on Sunday alongside deputy director Matthew Quinn.

President Donald Trump promoted Curran to director after he was part of the team that saved the president in Butler, Pennsylvania. Curran’s predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle, stepped down after the security breach at the 2024 rally, which killed two people and wounded the president.

“It’s like we’ve never seen before,” Curran told O’Donnell. “The threats on our full-time protectees are up just over 40%…than they were last year. That’s a massive increase.”

According to Curran, there have been 10,000 threats this year alone against the people the Secret Service has sworn to protect.

When O’Donnell asked what was behind the surge, Curran pointed to the internet.

“Look, I think a lot of it has to do with the internet. You know, people are more accessible. Information is more accessible. It’s — it’s definitely new to us,” Curran said.

O’Donnell then pressed the director on whether President Trump himself was a factor.
“President Trump is one of the most polarizing political figures in American history,” O’Donnell said. “Is that in some way leading to the increase in these threats?”

Curran declined to go down that road.

“We are an apolitical organization,” Curran said. “We’re here to protect who we’re sworn to protect.”

Quinn added that strong feelings about presidents cut across party lines, pointing instead to mental health as the biggest factor.

“Look, I would say there’s people on both sides of the aisle that either love or hate any president,” Quinn said. “I think the biggest factor we’re dealing with today is mental health issues, for sure. And more people are being pushed over the edge in either direction.”

Curran also noted how much the world has changed.

“The world is different than what it was 20 years ago,” Curran said. “You know, social media changes people.”

O’Donnell went on to ask whether more threats were coming from the left or the right. Curran said the agency doesn’t look at it that way.

“We don’t weigh it that way,” Curran answered. “We just look at, you know, who is, you know, making a threat. We investigate it. And we run it down, each and every threat.”

O’Donnell then cited research from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which she said “showed a spike in incidents at the local and national level from the left in 2025.”

“It was the first time left-wing attacks have been higher than right-wing attacks in 30 years,” O’Donnell said.
She added that the pattern has shifted this year.

“This year, that trend has reversed, with more attacks coming from the right so far,” O’Donnell said.

The interview offers a rare look inside the agency charged with protecting the nation’s top leaders, at a time when its director says the threat environment has reached a level unlike anything the Secret Service has dealt with before. With threats against full-time protectees up just over 40% from last year, Curran made clear the agency intends to investigate and run down each and every one.