# Secret Service protection **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375 "2020-11-24T22:32:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/1 "2020-11-24T22:32:29Z")
Do the ex-spouses of Presidents get Secret Service protection? Say, for example, if Melania divorces Individual 1? Or Ivana and Marla, who were exes before his election? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/2 "2020-11-24T22:39:28Z")
Here’s the law about [Secret Service protection](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3056) It states: > Under the direction of the Secretary of Homeland Security, the United States Secret Service is authorized to protect the following persons: > … > Former Presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes, except that protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event of remarriage. Ivana and Marla are not Trump’s spouses, so no protection for them. If Melania divorces him, she’s no longer his spouse, so she’d lose protection as well. If he predeceases Melania, she keeps protection unless she remarries. As I mentioned in another thread, the laws about protection for families of former Presidents were written between 1963 and 1968, so they were written specifically with Jackie Kennedy, Caroline, and JFK Jr. in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/3 "2020-11-24T22:42:33Z")
So Jackie lost her protection when she married Onassis? ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/4 "2020-11-24T22:45:24Z")
As @muldoonthief mentioned in that other thread, that’s exactly why that “remarriage” clause was added. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/5 "2020-11-24T22:59:46Z")
Very clear, thank you. And who writes and passes this law, in other words: could it be amended in the next seven weeks? ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/6 "2020-11-24T23:04:51Z")
??? I mean…it’s like any other U.S. law. Congress writes it. It requires a majority vote in both houses. Then it’s signed by the President, or vetoed. If vetoed, it requires a 2/3 vote in each house to over-ride the veto. So, yes, it _could_ be amended in the next seven weeks, but…why would it be? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/7 "2020-11-24T23:24:21Z")
Because strange things keep on happening this year. Imagine Trump fears Melania wants to divorce him. Could he have the law amended to take protection away from separated spouses, even without marrying again? Or could he extend protection to his former wives? Don’t ask me why he would do such things, trolling seems to be as good a reason as any for him. Or to show off: “look what I can still do!” But OK, a majority on both houses in the next seven weeks: it is not going to happen. I just thought that the OP asked a good question and @muldoonthief gave a precise answer that prompted another question in my mind. Looks to me the matter is settled now. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/8 "2020-11-25T00:24:23Z")
What if Joe Biden divorces his wife this weekend and Trump marries her? Would she still get Secret Service protection if Trump dies? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/9 "2020-11-25T00:42:24Z")
That’s an odd “what if”. You’re aware that Biden a practicing Roman Catholic, right? He’s not going to be divorcing anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/10 "2020-11-25T02:13:32Z")
Whoosh! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/11 "2020-11-25T03:09:38Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Very clear, thank you. And who writes and passes this law, in other words: could it be amended in the next seven weeks? Very little will happen in Congress in the next seven weeks. We will probably have another government shutdown, too. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/12 "2020-11-25T15:18:56Z")
FWIW, in 1994 the protection of former Presidents & spouses was reduced to 10 years, starting with the President elected in 2000 (I guess Congress decided it would be easier to avoid a veto that way). So originally George W. Bush’s protection would have run out in 2018. But in 2012, lifetime protection for all former Presidents was restored. Something interesting I did find - [George W Bush signed an Executive Order](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bush-daughters-kept-secret-service-protection/) right before he left office extending protection for his daughters, both 27 at the time. Since it was an EO, President Obama could have revoked it any time he wanted to. So it is possible Trump could sign his own EO extending protection to any family member he pleased, but Biden could revoke it any time he wanted to as well. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/13 "2020-11-28T23:58:01Z")
what I can’t understand is the reason for Secret Service protection for wives/widows of ex-presidents? I mean I’m pretty sure Melania (with Trump I can never be sure since he gave his daughter security clearance ) doesn’t have security secrets, so why? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/14 "2020-11-29T00:11:24Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > what I can’t understand is the reason for Secret Service protection for wives/widows of ex-presidents? I mean I’m pretty sure Melania (with Trump I can never be sure since he gave his daughter security clearance ) doesn’t have security secrets, so why?. Protection has nothing to do with security clearance. It’s because spouses could be targets for assassins who are seeking fame rather than have a political objective, like John Hinckley or Mark David Chapman ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/15 "2020-11-29T15:11:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Protection has nothing to do with security clearance. It’s because spouses could be targets for assassins who are seeking fame rather than have a political objective, like John Hinckley or Mark David Chapman Or used by leverage by any fanatics. “Declare the USA a Druid nation or your wife gets it.” ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/16 "2020-11-29T20:25:44Z")
but they’re EX\_PRESIDENTS, so how much clout do they have? ---
**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:** [November 29, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/17 "2020-11-29T20:31:17Z")
You’re not thinking fourth-dimensionally. The point you’re making only really works if we grant, for the sake of argument, that you _could_ get a president to do your bidding by plausibly threatening to kill him or his wife if he does otherwise; and, well, isn’t the same dynamic pretty much still in place if you threaten _now_ to do it two weeks after he leaves office? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-protection/926375/18 "2020-11-29T22:06:07Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > but they’re EX\_PRESIDENTS, so how much clout do they have? Once again, protection for ex-presidents or their spouses is not about any power they might have. It’s recognition that they might be targets simply as celebrities, or for revenge because of what they did when they were in office.