Americans losing trust in US Secret Service after Donald Trump assassination attempt: Poll

A Gallup poll shows public trust in the Secret Service has dropped by 23 points following a failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July. Both Republican and Democrat voters expressed dissatisfaction with the agency's performance. The Secret Service faces scrutiny for security lapses in the lead-up to the attack.

In Short

• Public trust in US Secret Service drops 23-points after Trump assassination attempt
• Both Republican and Democrat voters express dissatisfaction with Secret Service
• Homeland Security seeks more funding for the Secret Service amid growing threats

The trust of the American public in the Secret Service has been dropped significantly after a failed assassination attempt on former President and Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, according to a Gallup poll released on Monday. The poll shows a 23-point decline in Americans who rate the agency’s performance as satisfactory.

The US Secret Service agency carries out a dual mission -- protection of top political figures, including the President, and financial crime investigation.

The drop in confidence comes amid ongoing investigations into how a gunman managed to fire shots at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear, injuring two others, and killing a rallygoer.

The Secret Service has faced intense scrutiny for its failure to prevent the attack, with internal reviews pointing to lapses in security measures.

The poll also shows growing dissatisfaction among both Republican and Democratic voters, with Republicans showing a 20-point decline in favourable views of the agency, and Democrats showing an 18-point drop, according to the Washington Post.

The survey was conducted from September 3 to September 15, prior to another incident on September 15, where the Secret Service successfully thwarted a second attempt on Trump’s life at his Florida golf club. In that case, an armed man, Ryan Wesley Routh, who was hiding in the bushes for nearly 12 hours, was spotted by an agent before any harm was done.

The internal review of the July shooting revealed that the agency failed to adequately cover the rooftops or detect the gunman’s drone in advance.

Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, is working with Congress to increase the agency’s budget and improve resources to cope with heightened threats.

Democratic Colorado Representative Jason Crow, part of a bipartisan House task force investigating the attack, emphasised on ABC’s "This Week" that the Secret Service is "stretched thin", adding that "threats are three times, four times higher" than in the past, reported the Washington Post.