Trump withdraws Kamala Harris’s secret services before his book promotion

US President Donald Trump withdrew the protection of the secret services of former vice-president Kamala Harris, officials said on Friday, in what criticisms qualified a new act of revenge against his political rivals.

The republicans’ decision occurs only a few weeks before the Democrat Harris took place on tour to promote a new book on his failed presidential campaign against Trump last year.

The secret services usually protect vice-presidents for six months after leaving the office, a period that ended on July 21 for Harris.

But the president of the time, Joe Biden, approved an extension of one year for Harris in an previously unknown order – which Trump has now dismissed, said a senior AFP official under the cover of anonymity.

The Harris office also confirmed this decision.

“The vice-president is grateful to the United States secret services for their professionalism, his dedication and his unwavering commitment to security,” Kirsten Alris’ principal advisor told AFP.

The Democrats rallied behind Harris during this decision, especially in California, where she was previously a senator.

The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, said that it was “another act of revenge following a long list of political reprisals” by Trump, according to a statement reported by the American media.

“It puts the old vice-president in danger and I can’t wait to work with the governor to make sure that vice-president Harris is safe in Los Angeles.”

Since his entry into office in January, Trump, 79, has taken similar measures against a long list of his enemies perceived and political opponents.

Trump withdrew the protection of former national security advisor John Bolton – whose house was attacked by FBI agents in a classified document survey last week – former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former US military officer Mark Many.

In March, he withdrew the government’s bodyguards from Biden’s son, Hunter and his daughter Ashley.

He also stripped of other officials and former officials – including Biden himself – their security authorizations to receive sensitive information.

While Harris, 60, has kept a low profile since the loss of the elections, she should go on tour this fall to promote her Memoirs “107 days” on her short presidential race.

The book, which Harris said he wrote with “Candor and Reflection”, will be published by Simon & Schuster on September 23 in the United States.

The first woman to be vice-president of the United States, Harris became the Democratic candidate after Biden, now 82, withdrew from the race in the midst of concerns about her cognitive health.

The decision to withdraw its protection occurs even if the Trump administration has repeatedly stressed the need for security for current officials following the assassination attempt that the Republican survived in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump sent a signed memo ordering that the secretary of internal security, Kristi Noem, “to interrupt all the procedures linked to the security previously authorized by the executive memorandum, beyond those required by law” for Harris from September 1, said CNN, who first reported this decision.

The secret services did not immediately respond to a request for comments. Biden and his wife Jill obtain protection for federal life as a former president and his spouse, but his adult children were not so lucky.

Trump said in March that he was “ridiculous” that Hunter Biden had a security detail of up to 18 people.

But after his first mandate from 2017 to 2021, the billionaire Trump made an order giving an extension of six months of the protection of the secret services to his four adult children and three senior administration officials.