White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was given a U.S. Secret Service protective detail in recent days, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The move comes in the wake of the shooting of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which sparked a conversation about the safety of high-profile individuals in public settings.
Leavitt declined to comment. The Secret Service has not yet responded to CBS News’ request for comment.
Congress is currently considering providing $58 million in additional funding to increase security for officials in the executive and judicial branches.
While it’s uncommon for White House press secretaries to have a protective detail, it’s not unprecedented.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now the governor of Arkansas, was temporarily assigned a Secret Service detail at her home in 2018 while serving as President Trump’s spokesperson during his first term. The assignment was made after Sanders was refused service at a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. She tweeted about the incident, which caused an uproar on social media.
Nicole Sganga
contributed to this report.
