What happens with protection after the US election?

[eltax91]

After watching the video yesterday of Donald Trump being bundled off stage by secret service staff due to a gun scare, and watching Mr Obama wander outside the whitehouse handing out chocolate to kids for Haloween, it strikes me that these are quite detailed security operations (of course).

So, what happens after Hillary, or Trump wins the election? Does the other one get dumped back out into the big wide world, no US secret service protection provision? After all, they are now just a failed candidate.

Similar for Obama, what about once he's an ex-president, no motorcade, no close protection officers, i imagine they'll be a bit busy if Trump gets in

Are they even a target, once they are not "currently high profile"? I imagine there's enough crazies to want to shoot Obama, being the first black president?

[ReallyReallyGood]

I think all former presidents maintain a secret service detail don't they?

[HTP99]

ReallyReallyGood said:

I think all former presidents maintain a secret service detail don't they?

I would have thought so, former UK PM's get protection; a very good friend of mine has just retired from doing it.

[Vaud]

HTP99 said:

ReallyReallyGood said:

I think all former presidents maintain a secret service detail don't they?

I would have thought so, former UK PM's get protection; a very good friend of mine has just retired from doing it.

Yes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secret...

[Shakermaker]

Ex-Presidents do indeed maintain a level of Secret Service protection. After all, they will have knowledge of many many secrets, and will be high profile targets for all kinds of people, probably.

Not sure about other high-profile US people like Senators or Presidential candidates such as Clinton or Trump; Clinton might get something as Secretary of State but not sure about Trump?

[Vaud]

Shakermaker said:

Ex-Presidents do indeed maintain a level of Secret Service protection. After all, they will have knowledge of many many secrets, and will be high profile targets for all kinds of people, probably.

Not sure about other high-profile US people like Senators or Presidential candidates such as Clinton or Trump; Clinton might get something as Secretary of State but not sure about Trump?

All those entitled are detailed in my handy link. It is enshrined in law.

[Shakermaker]

Vaud said:

All those entitled are detailed in my handy link. It is enshrined in law.

Lovely. We posted at the same time so I missed this handy guide.

[ApOrbital]

Not the same as the above but i have had a few drinks in the pub with him he had no one with him if it went tits up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Goodwill

[eltax91]

Shakermaker said:

Vaud said:

All those entitled are detailed in my handy link. It is enshrined in law.

Lovely. We posted at the same time so I missed this handy guide.

Interesting, it says "Major Presidential Candidates". So, should Trump win, Hilary will be protected by be bills Mrs, but if Hillary wins, then post-election Trump just gets dropped and left to his own devices. Interesting

[Vaud]

eltax91 said:

Interesting, it says "Major Presidential Candidates". So, should Trump win, Hilary will be protected by be bills Mrs, but if Hillary wins, then post-election Trump just gets dropped and left to his own devices. Interesting

I think the roots issue is:

• Have they recent access to sensitive information or process (I don't think presidential candidates get security briefings?)
• Can those around them be used as leverage?

As Trump hasn't held office, he just has opinions, not inside information/security intel? - so kidnapping him would be useless to the kidnapper. Though Fox News would probably explode.

[Cold]

I thought they all got together in some sort of uneasy group and committed elaborate bank robberies?

[ralphrj]

Vaud said:

Have they recent access to sensitive information or process (I don't think presidential candidates get security briefings?)

Both Clinton and Trump received access to classified security briefings after accepting the nomination from their parties.

[Vaud]

ralphrj said:

Both Clinton and Trump received access to classified security briefings after accepting the nomination from their parties.

I didn't know that.

[Shakermaker]

Vaud said:

ralphrj said:

Both Clinton and Trump received access to classified security briefings after accepting the nomination from their parties.

I didn't know that.

If "The West Wing" is anything to go by, this is done because no doubt a lot of what is currently happening in the world, will still be happening in the world after January 20th, and therefore, whoever becomes President will already need to be prepared for certain outcomes that can't be done in the 2 months before inauguration.

[AbzST64]

Oddly enough met Bill Clinton playing the Old Course in St Andrews a few years ago...he had around 4 guys following him round the course (and i think a 4x4 not very far away).

When he finished his round he went into the clubhouse, nobody else allowed in, 3 blacked out range rovers turned up, he was bundled into the middle one and off they sped with lights flashing etc! Was pretty slick watching it actually. Pretty easy life for the secret service guys id have thought??

[NRS]

AbzST64 said:

Pretty easy life for the secret service guys id have thought??

In some ways the opposite I would think? Basically you spend your life watching for something that will not happen most likely, but if you miss that one time it does happen then you'll be in big trouble.

[Jimmy Recard]

There is a video of Joe Biden driving his Corvette on Jay Leno's show on Youtube. It explains that he's not allowed to drive (a standard thing for most world leaders) for security reasons and I think he still has to be driven with a security detail for a couple of years after leaving office. Presumably until they decide his classified knowledge is no longer current affairs.

As a big petrolhead, it frustrated him a lot!