Secret Service agent tried to sneak wife on plane accompanying Air Force One
President Donald Trump confirmed reports that a Secret Service agent attempted to secretly bring his wife aboard a transport aircraft that traveled to Scotland alongside Air Force One. Trump said that despite the news, he is confident the incident will be handled properly.
“That’s a weird deal,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, July 29. “Would he leave the wife in the car? Would you think it might be a little dangerous?” The president added that Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran would “take care of it.”
The alleged plan
The Herald newspaper of Glasgow first reported the story, and it was confirmed by Trump while on Air Force One during his trip back to Washington, D.C.
The Secret Service said in a statement that the agent’s wife flew to Maryland, where she was briefed, and then she hopped on a bus to Joint Base Andrews. She was subsequently caught while reportedly in a “distinguished visitors” lounge. Officials told her to leave, which she did, and now an investigation into the matter is underway.
Wife is a member of the Air Force
The Washington Examiner reported that the wife is a member of the Air Force and tried to board a support plane operated by the military.
“The aircraft, operated by the U.S. Air Force, was being used by the Secret Service to transport personnel and equipment,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to Real Clear Politics. “Prior to the overseas departure, the employee was advised by supervisors that such an action was prohibited and the spouse was subsequently prevented from taking the flight. No Secret Service protectees were aboard and there was no impact to overseas protective operations.”
Another high-profile incident
The latest incident marks another high-profile mishap by the Secret Service. The agency has been marred by criticism in the wake of two assassination attempts against Trump, including the most scrutinized one in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman shot the then-candidate for president and killed a spectator in July 2024. Since then, investigations have revealed multiple security failures and calls for changes to safety practices within the agency.
Despite the findings, Trump has largely strayed away from criticizing the agency, instead expressing “great confidence” in the Secret Service’s ability to protect him in an interview with Fox earlier this month.
So far, it’s unclear if any disciplinary action has been taken against the Secret Service agent or his wife.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
