President Donald Trump consistently identifies a scapegoat, regardless of how distasteful the circumstances may be.
So it’s not surprising that he’s directing his anger at the Secret Service following a string of embarrassing security leaks.
CNN reported that the agency placed three members of its communications team on administrative leave, among them Anthony Guglielmi, the Director of Communications. Federal investigators have also revoked their security clearances and confiscated their phones.
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The Secret Service acknowledged an inquiry but did not reveal the identities of those placed on leave or the grounds for the investigation.
“Three non-law enforcement personnel at the U.S. Secret Service have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into potential misconduct,” the agency said in a statement to CNN.
“Per policy, this incident is being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility. We are unable to comment further at this time,” the agency added.
Nevertheless, it stressed that the duties of agents require “unwavering commitment to duty, honesty, and courage.”
Trump appeared unhappy when news of his covert trip out of Turkey in July—via a meal catering truck and a military jet—leaked. He had brought along his close aide Natalie Harp and a few other associates, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
But he left behind other unwitting administration officials, members of the press, and security personnel aboard a decoy Air Force One that was reportedly under a “credible” threat from Iran.
Undoubtedly, the leak was embarrassing for Trump, as critics seized on the ruse, accusing the president of abandoning loyalists and reporters to fly on a target that could have been dangerous in Iranian hands.
The Secret Service oversaw that operation, according to The Washington Post.
Trump said at the time of the leak that he does what the agency tells him to do.
“I just follow what they’d like to do. So, I go by Secret Service. And the military. They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety, but they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say,” a chagrined president told the press, according to The Daily Beast.
“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,” he added.
Also last month, Vice President JD Vance found himself at the center of unpleasant gossip about his and his family’s demands on his Secret Service detail.
Another agent went on leave over that incident. MS NOW reported that his unplanned trips and last-minute assignments frustrated his security team, including his use of a helicopter to take his son to a golf lesson.
The Secret Service also came under scrutiny after a 2024 assassination attempt on Trump while on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Social media had its own thoughts on the burgeoning scandal.
“Fall guys for administration leaks. Deplorable,” a Threads user blasted Trump and his administration. Another used just one word to describe the situation: “scapegoats.”
An X user sees the suspensions as more of the same. “Corruption continues.” This X user also kept it brief. “Whoa.”
