Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn Resigns Amid Security Concerns
Quinn's departure follows a series of high-profile security lapses and a documented rise in threats against protectees.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn announced his resignation Friday, an abrupt decision that comes after a series of high-profile security blunders and an increase in threats against the nation's protectees. Quinn had returned to the Secret Service as deputy director in May of the previous year after retiring in 2021, having served 23 years as an agent.
Quinn's resignation follows a '60 Minutes' interview where he acknowledged that drone swarms present a significant threat, even around the White House. "I'd love to tell you the swarm problem is solved. It's not," Quinn stated, while also emphasizing the security measures in place at the White House. The interview also featured demonstrations of the agency's counter-drone technology, including AI and radar systems.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran acknowledged in the same interview that the agency is facing an unprecedented threat environment. The Secret Service has managed approximately 10,000 threat cases against its protectees since the start of the year, representing a 40 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year.
The agency has recently grappled with several incidents. In July of the prior year, an assassination attempt occurred at a campaign rally for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman fired shots from a nearby building, grazing Trump's ear. A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report later concluded that the Secret Service missed opportunities to prevent the attack. Earlier in the year, a shooting incident also occurred at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
In addition to these events, an alleged drone plot targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House South Lawn in July was thwarted by the Secret Service and the FBI. Threats against protected individuals have also been made at Trump's Florida golf course.
"Do we recognize the threat environment has increased? Absolutely," Quinn told '60 Minutes.' He added, "How we do it and how we change - that's where we prefer to stay, in [the] background."
Quinn stated in his social media post that he had informed the Secret Service staff of his transition and that he and Director Curran had been planning his departure for months. "Proud of the men & women of the USSS and all your accomplishments!" he wrote.