Is trump having issues with the secret service

1. The problem: operational failures and public scrutiny after July 13

Multiple sources describe the July 13, 2024 attack as an operational failure that exposed breakdowns in planning, communications and human performance; the agency itself framed the event as a reminder of its “zero-fail” mission and cited specific breakdowns that led to the incident ^[1], and editorial and local reporting continued to question why protesters were able to get close to the president months later ^[5].

2. Staffing, vetting and morale: shortages and troubling incidents

Reporting documents an overstretched Secret Service workforce, a manpower crisis that prompted the agency to lower hiring thresholds at times and produced several high-profile personnel incidents—a recruit who killed his brother on New Year’s Eve, an agent whose home was raided in a tax-fraud investigation, and other conduct problems that have fueled questions about vetting and morale ^{[4] [2] [6]}.

3. Institutional response: funding, hiring surges and expansion plans

In direct response to those strains and high-profile security failures, the Secret Service committed to improvements and received a substantial budget infusion—nearly $1.2 billion through federal legislation and further requests for increased funding—while publicly planning a roughly 20 percent expansion and aggressive hiring to reduce reliance on outside agencies and relieve pressure on current staff ^{[2] [3]}.

4. Presidential posture: criticism, backing, and operational friction

The White House and President Trump have expressed both concern and continued support: administration figures and allies have criticized past agency shortcomings and touted reforms (including installing new leadership), but the president has continued to back Secret Service leadership despite “concern at times,” an attitude reflected in political commentary and reporting ^{[4] [7]}. At the same time, friction shows up in specific security episodes—White House officials reportedly contacted the Secret Service about concerns tied to a public outing and a congressional ally’s involvement with protesters, raising questions about communications and advance planning ^[8].

5. Local security frictions and community disputes—Mar-a-Lago flight restrictions

Practical security measures meant to protect the president, such as round‑the‑clock temporary flight restrictions over Mar‑a‑Lago, have produced local tension and required the Secret Service to engage with communities and with the FAA about impacts, demonstrating that protection duties create political and logistical disputes beyond personnel and planning problems ^[9].

6. How to weigh it: real problems and visible remedial steps, with partisan coloring

Taken together, the reporting documents real and concrete issues—failures in advance planning, personnel incidents, overstretched staffing—that justify scrutiny ^{[1] [4] [5]}, while also recording substantial remedial action: budget increases, hiring plans, and a public agency commitment to reforms ^{[2] [3]}. Coverage and commentary are politically charged—some Republican voices cast past problems as the previous administration’s fault and frame the current expansion as a “revitalization” ^[7], while editorials and watchdog pieces emphasize lingering operational risks and the need for demonstrable, sustained change ^[5].

Bottom line

Yes—reporting shows President Trump and his protectors have been dealing with serious Secret Service issues: operational failures, personnel incidents and manpower shortages are documented, but the agency has received funding and launched expansion and reform efforts and continues to have the president’s public backing; the situation is therefore a mix of unresolved problems and active remediation rather than a single, settled verdict ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}.