In a move that has ignited fresh controversy in the already heated U.S. political landscape, former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection was officially revoked on September 1, 2025, following a directive from President Donald Trump. The timing of this decision—just weeks before Harris is set to embark on a high-profile, multi-city book tour—has raised questions about political motives, security protocols, and the ongoing clash between state and federal authorities.
According to Deadline, Harris’s extended Secret Service protection, which exceeded the standard six months allotted to former vice presidents, was put in place by then-President Joe Biden in his final days in office. The extension, which would have lasted until July 2026, was intended to address the heightened threats faced by Harris as the first woman and first person of color to hold the office. However, President Trump abruptly ended this arrangement with a terse letter to the Department of Homeland Security, stating, “You are hereby authorized to discontinue any security-related procedures previously authorized by Executive Memorandum, beyond those required by law, for the following individual, effective September 1, 2025: Former Vice President Kamala D. Harris.”
The move was confirmed by Harris’s adviser Kristen Allen, who told HuffPost that the protection would end as of September 1. In a brief statement, Allen said, “The Vice President is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety.” Harris’s office did not elaborate further on the decision or on any backup security plans, despite repeated inquiries from news outlets.
While it is not unprecedented for presidents to adjust the security details of former officials, the context of this revocation is hard to ignore. Trump has previously withdrawn security clearances and protections from critics and rivals, including former national security adviser John Bolton and, earlier this year, Harris herself along with other prominent Democrats. The pattern has drawn both criticism and concern from political observers and local officials.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a longtime ally of Harris and a vocal opponent of President Trump, quickly stepped in to fill the security void. Though his office declined to comment directly on the specifics, law enforcement sources confirmed to Deadline that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) would assume responsibility for Harris’s protection beginning September 1. Newsom’s communications chief, Izzy Gardon, stated, “The safety of our public officials should never be subject to erratic, vindictive political impulses.”
The arrangement mirrors the level of protection typically granted to the governor, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. However, it remains unclear how long this state-provided security will last or how Harris will be protected during her extensive travel outside California. Discussions about her security during stops in other states, as well as in London and Toronto, are ongoing and reportedly “complicated,” according to sources familiar with the situation.
Harris’s upcoming book tour, set to begin on September 24—just one day after the release of her campaign memoir 107 Days—will take her to 13 U.S. cities, as well as international stops in London and Toronto. Notably, the tour includes appearances at Los Angeles’s Wiltern Theater on September 29 and in San Francisco on October 5, before concluding in Miami on November 20. The tour is expected to attract significant media attention and large crowds, further underscoring the need for robust security measures.
Local officials have not minced words about the risks involved. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a former congresswoman and close Harris ally, condemned Trump’s decision as “another act of revenge following a long list of political retaliation.” She added, “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.”
Others in California’s political and entertainment circles echoed Bass’s sentiments. A prominent Hollywood producer and Democratic donor told Deadline, “Trump is a would-be dictator who thinks he can bully and scare everyone into submission. He clearly doesn’t know Kamala Harris very well if he thinks that’s going to work.”
The Secret Service, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, declined to comment on the specifics of Harris’s case, instead referring inquiries to the White House. The White House, for its part, has not responded to requests for clarification on the rationale behind discontinuing Harris’s security detail so close to her return to the public stage.
Some federal law enforcement officials, speaking to Deadline on condition of anonymity, suggested that Trump’s move was not out of step with past practices. They pointed out that while extensions beyond the six-month standard have occurred—such as the additional six months granted to Dick Cheney by President Barack Obama in 2009—such decisions are ultimately at the discretion of the sitting president. Notably, former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Mike Pence did not receive similar extensions, and the latter was denied one by the Biden administration.
Another factor cited by officials is the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York City, scheduled from September 9 to 29, 2025. With more than 100 heads of state requiring Secret Service protection, resources are stretched thin, and the agency must prioritize its commitments. “It’s a heavy lift, with over 100 heads of state receiving Secret Service protection,” one source noted, hinting that the demands of the assembly may have influenced the timing of Harris’s security transition.
For Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, the change is more than symbolic. Their Brentwood home in Los Angeles has been under Secret Service protection since 2021, a presence that will now be replaced by state officers. The California Highway Patrol’s Dignitary Protection Unit, which typically safeguards state officials and visiting dignitaries, is stepping in. According to the unit’s mission statement, “DPS also provides, as directed, protective services to national and international dignitaries who are visiting California on official business. This includes: the advance security assessments of sites and locations to be visited, safe and secure transportation, protection at designated venues, collaboration with allied agency law enforcement, and other services as required.”
Despite these measures, some worry that state-level protection may not match the resources and reach of the Secret Service, especially as Harris travels across the country and abroad. The question of her safety—now a political flashpoint—remains front and center as she reenters the national spotlight.
It’s worth noting that while former presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden enjoy lifetime Secret Service protection, former vice presidents are not afforded the same privilege. The rules, shaped by legislation in 2008 and subsequent executive orders, leave much to presidential discretion and, as recent events show, to the shifting winds of political rivalry.
As Harris’s Secret Service detail withdraws from her Brentwood residence and state officers step in, the episode underscores the ways in which security, politics, and personal safety have become entangled in today’s America. For Harris, the coming weeks will test not only her message and memoir but also the resilience of the systems meant to protect those who have served at the highest levels of government.
