Former Vice President Kamala Harris will now be protected by the California Highway Patrol after President Trump revoked her Secret Service detail, law enforcement sources said Friday.
California officials created a backup plan to keep Harris safe once Trump ended her extended Secret Service coverage, which had been granted after the 2024 election.
According to sources, Trump signed a memo on Thursday ending Harris’ protection starting Monday.
Normally, former vice presidents only receive Secret Service protection for six months after leaving office, while former presidents are covered for life. But before leaving office, President Biden approved a request from Harris’ aides to extend her protection until July 2026. Without that order, her security would have already ended last month.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who would need to approve CHP protection, would not confirm details. “Our office does not comment on security arrangements,” his spokesperson Izzy Gordon said. “The safety of our public officials should never be subject to erratic, vindictive political impulses.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also weighed in, calling Trump’s move an act of political retaliation. “This puts the former Vice President in danger, and I look forward to working with the governor to make sure Vice President Harris is safe in Los Angeles,” she said. Harris lives in the western part of the city.
The Secret Service, CHP, and Los Angeles Police Department all declined to discuss details such as staffing, deployment, or travel arrangements. CNN first reported the removal of Harris’ protection. Sources would not say how long the CHP will provide coverage.
This change comes as Harris prepares to launch a 15-stop book tour for her memoir 107 Days, which begins next month and includes international stops in London and Toronto. The title refers to the short span of her presidential campaign.
Harris, the first Black woman to serve as vice president, faced high levels of threats during her campaign last year. However, The Associated Press reports that a recent Secret Service review found no credible threats against her.
President Trump has previously taken away extended Secret Service protection from other officials, including his former national security adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom were targeted by Iran. Earlier this year, he also removed protection for Biden’s children, Hunter and Ashley Biden, which had been granted by their father.
Former Vice President Mike Pence did not receive protection beyond the standard six months.
Harris, a former U.S. senator, state attorney general, and San Francisco district attorney, announced earlier this year that she will not run for California governor in 2026.
Last year’s campaign season also saw two assassination attempts against Trump, including the July 2024 rally in Butler, Pa., where a gunman opened fire. A Secret Service countersniper killed the attacker, but one person was killed, two others were wounded, and Trump was grazed in the ear.
