Plus some pervasive myths that can finally be debunked
Dan Emmett wrote in his book, ‘Within Arm's Length: A Secret Service Agent's Definitive Inside Account of Protecting the President,’ that taking a president into public was a nightmare, and they tried to convince Clinton to run on a track or military base, but he insisted on being seen, so they put agents along designated routes.
The Secret Service originally used code names for important figures and places for security reasons, choosing unambiguous words that can be pronounced and understood clearly over radio, but now the practice is more for tradition. Donald Trump's code name is Mogul.
Bill Clinton was a regular jogger when he became president in 1992, which was difficult since the Secret Service had to jog alongside him, while also carrying guns and radios and keeping a watchful eye.
When Bill Clinton visited Russia in 1993, Secret Service agents worried about protecting the somewhat reckless president as he worked crowds. But, according to Dan Emmett, people in Russia moved out of Clinton's way instead of surging at him, taking orders and not questioning authority, unlike Americans.
Agents also reported that one night Nixon's close friend Bebe Rebozo, a wild Cuban-American businessman, arrived at Nixon’s house at 2 am with a “present” for Nixon in his trunk, which turned out to be a young, naked woman with a bottle of Champagne. Naturally the Secret Service wouldn’t let them in.
Poumpouras added that you have to consider outings from every angle: snipers, counter assault teams, what’s above you in the sky, what’s below you underground, planning, blueprints, choreography, and more.
President Lyndon Johnson was considered "uncouth" by many and was infamously hotheaded with his agents, whom he would reportedly fire for not obeying his every order.
Jimmy Carter’s son, James "Chip" Carter III, was allegedly even more difficult. He was recently separated, drinking often, and picking up women to bring back to the White House during his father's presidency.
Teddy Roosevelt allegedly hid from his agents, and Woodrow Wilson is said to have actively tried to lose his agents when he was in a crowd.
According to author and former Secret Service agent Dennis McCarthy, President Johnson treated the Secret Service like "hired hands.” At his Texas ranch one rainy night, the president put his dog out and shouted to the agents to bring him in when he’s finished, which they only found joy in because the dog was very muddy and made a mess of Johnson's bed.
Kessler’s book revealed that during Barack Obama's term, the threats on the life of the president increased by 400% compared to his predecessor.
Agent Chuck Vance fell in love with Gerald Ford’s daughter, Susan, while he was on detail. They started a secret relationship in 1977, and Vance was transferred once Betty Ford discovered it and disapproved due to Vance being a divorced father. The couple married, however, in 1979, and soon after Vance left the Secret Service to start his own security firm.
Former agent Dan Emmett explained that it’s difficult when presidents play golf, especially on public courses, as George H. W. Bush insisted, because of all the open space and other people playing simultaneously.
Agents had to watch awkwardly as Nixon tried to play golf, because according to Ronald Kessler's book ‘The First Family Detail,’ one agent said, "When you saw him play golf, you were embarrassed for him. I mean it was awful."
Former Secret Service Assistant Deputy Direct Lynda R. Williams told ABC News that mask-wearing might come down to the “aesthetics of the White House” as a safe place, meaning image was chosen over agents’ health.
Former agent Evy Poumpouras said that the agents are inevitably having tougher discussions regarding safety as Trump travels during this time of civil unrest, particularly since “it's not just what happens to him, it's what symbolically it means if something happens to him.”
See also: Fascinating little-known facts about life in the White House.
Agents on Biden's detail are commonly seen wearing masks, and have been since Biden received his detail in mid-March. This makes sense as Biden has been a consistent supporter of masks.
The US Secret Service agents are the primary protection for presidents, vice presidents, the entire First Family, and even candidates on the campaign trail. They're constantly with the people they're sworn to protect, and they are meant to be as invisible as humanly possible. Of course, this involves rigorous training and a difficult application process, but once you're in, you're privy to the personal lives of some of the most powerful people in the world.
With that comes some pretty monumental revelations, and some perhaps unanticipated quirks to the job. Some agents have come forward about their experiences, offering a fascinating insight into what it's really like to guard the leader of the free world. Click through to read some of their stories.
What it’s like to guard the president, as revealed by the Secret Service
Former members of the Secret Service share their strange stories
LIFESTYLE Curiosity
The US Secret Service agents are the primary protection for presidents, vice presidents, the entire First Family, and even candidates on the campaign trail. They're constantly with the people they're sworn to protect, and they are meant to be as invisible as humanly possible. Of course, this involves rigorous training and a difficult application process, but once you're in, you're privy to the personal lives of some of the most powerful people in the world.
With that comes some pretty monumental revelations, and some perhaps unanticipated quirks to the job. Some agents have come forward about their experiences, offering a fascinating insight into what it's really like to guard the leader of the free world. Click through to read some of their stories.