Read Time: 2 min 35 sec | Listen to Podcast
─────── February 28, 2026 ───────
Happy Saturday!
After last weekend’s news that Secret Service agents fatally shot an armed trespasser at Mar-a-Lago, you might be wondering: What exactly does the Secret Service do? Who do they protect? And how does one even get that job?
We’re glad you asked. Keep on readin’, and we’re gonna get into it.
Have an idea for what we should cover next? Let us know here.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It is the most counterintuitive aspect of Christianity, that we are declared right with God not once we begin to get our act together but once we collapse into honest acknowledgment that we never will.”
Dane C. Ortlund
BREWING QUESTIONS
WHAT YOU’RE ASKING
What is the Secret Service?
The U.S. Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency under Homeland Security with two distinct jobs:
Protect the nation’s leaders.
Investigate financial crimes like counterfeiting, fraud, and cyberattacks on the nation’s financial infrastructure.
For those (like us) picturing ten dudes in sunglasses: the Secret Service is actually made up of over 8,000 men and women working across more than 150 offices in the U.S. and abroad.
Wait, financial crimes?
That’s actually how the agency started. In 1865, Lincoln signed legislation creating the Secret Service… later that same day, he was assassinated. Its original purpose wasn’t presidential protection but fighting rampant counterfeiting that was threatening to destabilize the post-Civil War economy.
Presidential protection came later, following the assassination of President McKinley in 1901.
Who do they protect today?
The Secret Service is tasked with ensuring the safety of the:
President, Vice President, and their immediate families
Former presidents, their spouses, and their children (15 and under)
Major presidential and vice-presidential candidates
Visiting foreign heads of state
By federal statute, the president and vice president cannot refuse this protection.
How does protection actually work?
It’s layered. Before a protectee goes anywhere, agents gather intelligence, scout the area, and coordinate with local law enforcement. Security covers everything from airspace to chemical and explosive threats, with specialized agents on deck to respond to medical emergencies and neutralize risks before they arise.
Agents also safeguard places and events (think: the White House or the State of the Union).
How does someone become an agent?
It’s a long road. Candidates must be 21-40 years old with a bachelor’s degree (or three years of law enforcement experience), and must clear background checks, a polygraph, medical exams, and a fitness test.
New agents complete two training programs and at least three years of investigative work in a field office before ever joining a protective detail.
Want to hear more about what the life of a Secret Service agent is like? Catch Jason and Joe breaking it down in this week’s episode of the TPO Explains podcast.
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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
The Secret Service exists because human leaders are vulnerable—but no security detail, no matter how elite, offers ultimate protection. Christians can honor those who put themselves in harm’s way for others while holding onto the truth that real safety isn’t something any agency can guarantee.
"The king is not saved by a large army; a warrior is not delivered by great strength... We wait for the Lord; he is our help and our shield."
Psalm 33:16, 20 (CSB) (read full passage)
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HOUSE BLEND
WHAT YOU’LL ENJOY
Solving this week’s crossword… the TPO Mini #4!
Putting basset hounds to bed...
Your new favorite hiking hat. Founded by TPO reader Abby L. and her lifelong bestie, NonLocal makes products that inspire you to embrace being an outsider—by both getting outside and living as a citizen of God’s Kingdom. Pop on a hat, tee, or bag and go enjoy God’s creation.*
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WHAT YOU’VE BEAN CLICKING…
Top Linked Video: The wolfdog who stole the snow show at one Olympics’ finishline.
Top Christian Perspective: A prayer for steadfast hope. Save it to come back to here.
Top Whipped Cream: An example of what Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 11:1… set by Sugar Gliders.
TAKE IT TO GO
*From our partners
WHAT WE’RE PRAYING
A Prayer for Spiritually Healthy News Consumption
Merciful God, we confess that we are so easily pressed into a worldly mold, responding to the headlines with anger and anxiety, arrogance and apathy. We have been faithless and fearful, desensitized and detached—grieving the state of the world as if we have no eternal hope.
Renew our minds so that we can walk in good paths, pleasing You as we engage with the news of this world. Equip us to be effective ambassadors for Christ, bringing His aroma to our temporary places of exile. Make us wise servants of our cities, seeking the good of our neighbors in the outposts where You’ve placed us.
This prayer is adapted from TPO's News Cleanse, a free devotional designed to help you turn down news noise and amplify Christ’s peace. Sign up here to get the weekly email in your inbox tomorrow!
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