With a No-Fail Mission, the Secret Service Strains to Make Do
The agency charged with protecting presidents and foreign leaders has its largest ever budget, but employees say it is still unable to recruit and retain enough people to carry the load.
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![Secret Service agents waiting for President Biden at an airport in Las Vegas this month. The Secret Service currently looks after 36 protectees.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2024/07/26/multimedia/00dc-usss-resources-01-mwhz/00dc-usss-resources-01-mwhz-thumbLarge.jpg?auto=webp)
![Secret Service agents waiting for President Biden at an airport in Las Vegas this month. The Secret Service currently looks after 36 protectees.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2024/07/26/multimedia/00dc-usss-resources-01-mwhz/00dc-usss-resources-01-mwhz-threeByTwoMediumAt2X.jpg?auto=webp)