# Can the secret service charged with protecting Trump arrest him? (and how could it happen)) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973 "2022-07-14T22:16:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/1 "2022-07-14T22:16:45Z")
If it seems like Trump committed an offense that warrants being arrested is there any way that the secret service charged with protecting him would be the ones to arrest him? And if so how would such an order come down? Could Biden order that arrest? Or would the Secret Service try to keep Trump from being arrested? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/2 "2022-07-15T12:44:08Z")
Are you talking only about the election/insurrection-related crimes from a while back? If so, then I don’t see how the Secret Service would have any way of getting involved in the arrest, since AFAIK they’re not involved in the investigation into those crimes. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/3 "2022-07-15T14:13:53Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Are you talking only about the election/insurrection-related crimes from a while back? Not necessarily but from your post it seems like they would not assist in making a legal arrest. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/4 "2022-07-15T14:27:31Z")
And the next thread as of now is " [Secret Service deleted texts around January 6 as part of a “device-replacement” program](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-deleted-texts-around-january-6-as-part-of-a-device-replacement-program/967977/10)" Makes the question more “Would they?” than “Can they?”. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/5 "2022-07-15T15:37:32Z")
[Moderating] This thread is in Factual Questions, and the question of whether they can make the arrest is a factual one. The question of whether they would is not a factual one, and would belong in one of the more political forums. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/6 "2022-07-15T15:59:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > the question of whether they can make the arrest My question has to do if they can and what would be the mechanism to effect the arrest by the secret service and also if they are in a position to prevent legal arrest in their protection of Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/7 "2022-07-15T16:00:29Z")
My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/8 "2022-07-15T16:26:10Z")
This thread over at Stackexchange seems to have a fairly thorough and factual-sounding answer: > > [@](#): > > With all that in mind, it would not so much be that the Secret Service would prevent arrest of an individual under their protection so much as the Secret Service would be the arresting authority. As they are law enforcement agents under the Federal Government, they can legally arrest people and then hand them to the proper law enforcement agency to effect the arrest. This would mostly happen with candidates for office OR former presidents OR family at any point in time as the scenario described is a bit harder to make a legitimate arrest. If arresting officers showed up to make the arrest, my sense would be that the Secret Service would probably hold them at bay while checking their identity and travel with them to ensure the safety of the protectee through the charging/jailing process, until relieved. Of course, every agent is their own, individual person so what the laws and rules say won’t necessarily play out in reality. Until it actually happens, this is all going to be supposition. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/9 "2022-07-15T16:30:10Z")
Is there a case of the Secret Service ever arresting someone they were charged with protecting? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/10 "2022-07-15T16:41:20Z")
I can’t think of anyone under SS protection who’s been arrested. Even George Bush’s daughters, who got in trouble for underage drinking, were just given citations, not arrested. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/11 "2022-07-16T03:56:10Z")
Could the SS even arrest the Bush daughters for underage drinking if they wanted to? IIRC drinking laws are a state issue and not a federal issue. The SS has no jurisdiction to enforce state drinking laws (and no obligation that I am aware of). The question is more what they would do if a state trooper arrested the Bush daughters for underage drinking. Also, I would think if the SS detail’s job is to protect someone they cannot be in the business of arresting them for any infraction. It would make the people they are supposed to protect try to avoid them. If their charge was really crossing the line (i.e. a serious felony) I would think the SS would intervene to stop what was happening but not arrest them. I’d be interested to know what they would do if they caught their charge counterfeiting money. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-secret-service-charged-with-protecting-trump-arrest-him-and-how-could-it-happen/967973/12 "2022-07-16T08:58:05Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > IIRC drinking laws are a state issue and not a federal issue. What if you’re drinking in DC?