Former Vice President Kamala Harris will no longer have a Secret Service detail beginning September 1, after President Donald Trump rescinded a quiet extension of her protection that had been ordered by his predecessor.
According to a letter reviewed by CNN, Trump directed the Department of Homeland Security to “discontinue any security-related procedures previously authorized by Executive Memorandum, beyond those required by law.” The one-page memorandum, dated Thursday, specifically named Harris, who was entitled under federal law to six months of protection after leaving office in January 2025. That protection expired in July. But just before leaving the White House, Joe Biden had signed a little-known directive granting her an extra year of coverage.
Trump’s cancellation of that arrangement was not triggered by a new threat assessment, a Secret Service official told CNN. It came directly from the White House, without a recommendation from career security staff. “This was not the result of any intelligence review,” the official said, noting that Harris’ detail—between a dozen and several dozen agents depending on the day—would have continued monitoring her movements and communications around the clock.
The timing is significant. Harris is preparing for the September 23 release of 107 Days, a memoir reflecting on her short-lived presidential campaign. The rollout includes a multi-city book tour, her most sustained return to the public spotlight since leaving office. Without federal protection, her security team will no longer have access to the intelligence monitoring and early-warning systems that accompany Secret Service coverage.
Kirsten Allen, a senior adviser to Harris, praised the agents who have protected her since she left office. “The Vice President is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety,” Allen said in a statement.
For Harris, the loss of protection lands in a charged context. She was the first woman, and the first Black and South Asian woman, to serve as vice president. Her historic role made her a lightning rod for political and racial animus during her years in office, and according to people familiar with her security operations, the threats against her were unusually persistent.
The Biden White House never explained why it quietly extended her protection for an additional year, but aides at the time said privately that Harris remained a high-profile target even after she left government. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, did not receive an extension and lost his detail on July 21.
Replacing what Harris is losing would not be simple. Full-time private protection with intelligence monitoring and residential coverage could run into the millions of dollars annually, a cost likely borne by Harris or her publisher if she were to attempt it. Her Los Angeles home will no longer be covered by federal agents, although local police could provide some assistance.
In California, the decision set off alarm. Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed late Thursday and conferred with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass about contingency plans. Both officials condemned Trump’s action.
“The safety of our public officials should never be subject to erratic, vindictive political impulses,” said Newsom spokesperson Bob Salladay. Bass called the move “another act of revenge following a long list of political retaliation,” and vowed to work with state officials to ensure Harris’ safety.
The revocation adds to a long list of security-related controversies under Trump. He has repeatedly used the levers of federal authority to punish rivals, from stripping security clearances of former intelligence chiefs to firing career officials he deemed disloyal. Unlike those episodes, this one directly affects the personal safety of a former vice president entering a period of renewed visibility.
