Secret: Service

Former Presidents and their spouses (for life, though they can decline it). Major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. Visiting heads of foreign states and governments.

The (USSS) is often envisioned as an elite group of stoic figures in dark suits and sunglasses, ready to move at a moment’s notice to protect the President. However, the agency’s identity is far more complex than its public image suggests. Originally established to combat a counterfeiting crisis in the mid-19th century, it has evolved into a dual-mission powerhouse responsible for both the integrity of the American financial system and the physical safety of its most critical leaders. 1. Historical Foundations: Combatting Financial Sabotage Secret Service

Ironically, the agency now synonymous with presidential protection was not created for that purpose. Founded in , the Secret Service was established as a division of the Department of the Treasury. Its primary mandate was to suppress the rampant counterfeiting that emerged during the Civil War, when nearly one-third of all U.S. currency in circulation was estimated to be fraudulent. For decades, the agency focused almost exclusively on financial crimes, investigating credit card fraud and electronic funds transfer fraud as technology advanced. 2. The Shift to Protection: A Reaction to Tragedy Former Presidents and their spouses (for life, though