Is Secret Service Chief Committed to Reforming DEI, ‘Woke’ Culture?

Sean Curran knew he had his work cut out for him when he agreed to head the Secret Service and help the troubled agency recover its reputation. Two assassination attempts against Donald Trump – and the less-than-candid response by the agency brass – had sullied the reputation of the once-storied agency and led to a raft of questions on Capitol Hill about whether the Secret Service had lost sight of its very purpose.

Curran, the low-key former head of Trump’s campaign Secret Service detail, found himself heading an agency that had been undermined by cronyism, nepotism, and uneven discipline. In addition, the Biden administration’s shift to DEI hiring and promotions added another layer of priorities that complicated the agency’s mission-critical work, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former agents.

Over the last decade, the tensions produced by this change in culture, coupled with the demanding travel schedule many agents face, have led to an alarming exodus of mid-career and senior agents choosing to leave rather than stay until their 20-year retirement mark.

Last fall, amid the fallout over the assassination attempts, the agency started offering $40,000-$50,000 recruitment bonuses and retention bonuses of up to 25% of an agent’s or officer’s salary to try to stem the tide. But the efforts have had limited success, these same sources say.