Joe Biden is expected to receive protection from the Secret Service with a new team that is more familiar to him and replacing some agents amid concerns that they may be politically allied with Donald Trump.
In a change of guard, as well as the man being watched at the White House, Biden’s security detachment will undergo some personnel changes, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Several “senior” Secret Service agents are about to return to the president-elect’s protection team, and Biden knows these agents well because they protected him and his family during his time as vice president, according to the article, echoed in a report. CNN, citing a law enforcement source.
Relocations and promotions are common during transition periods between presidential administrations and aim to increase comfort and confidence between an elected president and his security team, who closely follow the commander-in-chief, including during private moments and delicate discussions.
While personnel changes are typical, several incidents reportedly contributed to the heightened concerns of Biden’s allies that some agents and officers might be loyal to Trump.
Some members of the president’s gang allegedly urged their colleagues not to wear masks while traveling, for example – despite official federal guidance on Covid-19 – while Trump himself discredited the use of masks and resisted for months before being seen wearing one in public.
In what has been described as an “unprecedented” movement, the Secret Service has allowed former leader Anthony Ornato to temporarily step down and serve as the White House’s deputy chief of staff.
Ornato was among the coordinators of the June photo shoot that Trump marched through Washington DC’s Lafayette Square to keep a Bible – after peaceful protesters were expelled from the area by federally ordered troops, creating uproar in political circles and among the public as well. ..
Ornato also helped plan many Trump campaign rallies, even when Covid-19 invaded the United States and meetings were discouraged or banned immediately. In addition to members of the public, many Secret Service members contracted coronavirus or were exposed.
The Secret Service refused to discuss the reports. Biden has had a security class since March, when he campaigned for the Democratic nomination.
Although former vice presidents receive a security detachment for six months after leaving office, he formally requested protection from the Secret Service after protesters rushed to the stage at a campaign rally, CNN said.