Key Point Summary – Secret Service agent
- A Secret Service agent tried to sneak his wife onto a presidential support plane.
- The wife, a U.S. Air Force member, received a briefing and reached Joint Base Andrews.
- She was discovered and removed before boarding, per agency protocols.
- Trump confirmed the incident and called it “a weird deal.”
- The agency is already under scrutiny after two failed Trump assassination attempts.
Agent Busted Trying to Fly Wife to Scotland
Another Secret Service controversy just landed — this time, quite literally. A Dallas-based Secret Service agent reportedly tried to sneak his wife onto a support aircraft tied to President Trump’s visit to Scotland, and got caught just before takeoff.
Trump himself confirmed the bizarre blunder Tuesday, telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “Wouldn’t you think it might be a little dangerous? That’s a weird deal.”
The woman — an active member of the U.S. Air Force — was flown to Maryland, briefed like she was part of the presidential mission, and escorted to Joint Base Andrews before being flagged and kicked off the flight, according to the Glasgow Herald.
Secret Service Admits Investigation Is Underway
The Secret Service quickly admitted fault. Spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told the paper, “The U.S. Secret Service is conducting a personnel investigation after an employee attempted to invite his spouse… aboard a mission support flight.”
The agent had reportedly been warned beforehand not to do it. Still, he pushed ahead — and only Secret Service alertness prevented her from joining the international mission.
“No Secret Service protectees were aboard and there was no impact to our overseas protective operation,” the statement clarified.
Agency Already Under Fire For Security Failures
The timing couldn’t be worse for the troubled agency. Already slammed for failing to stop not one, but two assassination attempts against Trump, this latest incident has raised more questions about leadership, discipline, and judgment inside the president’s protective detail.
Last July, Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The 18-year-old gunman fired from a rooftop sniper nest the Secret Service failed to secure — even after local police warned about him 25 minutes before the shooting.
Crooks was killed by a counter-sniper, but not before his bullet struck the 45th and 47th president.
Trump Survived, But Leadership Didn’t
The agency’s handling of the Butler rally was shredded in a Senate investigation, which revealed at least 10 ignored requests for anti-drone tech and other key resources. No discipline was handed down to the agent who botched coordination with local law enforcement.
Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director at the time, resigned soon after her disastrous congressional testimony.
In her place came Ron Rowe — briefly — before Sean Curran, a longtime member of Trump’s personal protection team, was tapped to lead the agency. Curran was one of the agents seen rushing to Trump’s side that bloody day in Butler.
Another Close Call In Florida
But that wasn’t the only breach. Just two months later, in September 2024, another would-be assassin — 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh — snuck onto Trump’s Palm Beach golf course.
He set up in a sniper’s nest and aimed at the former president, only to be spotted by a sharp-eyed agent. Six shots were fired. Routh ran. He wasn’t hit but was arrested later that day. He remains jailed awaiting trial.
Trump Says Curran Will “Take Care Of It”
Now, with Curran leading the agency and Trump back in the White House, the pressure is on to restore credibility. Trump voiced confidence in Curran Tuesday, brushing off the aircraft scandal while noting it’s the last thing the embattled Secret Service needs.
The president, now 79, hasn’t let past dangers dim his public image. After being shot, he stood on stage with blood streaming down his face and shouted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” before being hustled away.
But with an agent trying to sneak a spouse onto a high-security flight, critics say the agency still has a long way to go — not just in protecting the president, but in protecting its reputation.
