In interviews with POLITICO, five former Secret Service, FBI and CIA officers say that they, too, are concerned that today’s climate of supercharged political vitriol could lead to violence…

Some of the security experts said angry rhetoric and images in the culture can agitate and inspire those loners to cross the line from anger to violence…

All that contributes to a dangerous mix, says former Secret Service agent Ronald Williams, who served from 1970 to 1993. “When there are vitriolic comments, acrimonious commentary and anger, the likelihood of violence escalates,” he said…

But whether it’s driving the anger or not, Obama’s race is a complicating factor for security agents, said Joseph Petro, a 23-year Secret Service veteran who spent four years guarding Reagan. “Politically inspired violence is a real problem,” said Petro, who is managing director of Citigroup Security and Investigative Services. “If you add in racism, the bandwidth of potential violence expands exponentially.”