By Steve Neavling
A majority of Americans don’t believe the Secret Service can adequately protect presidential candidates after last month’s assassination attempt on former President Trump, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Less than a third of Americans are extremely or very confident that the Secret Service can keep presidential candidates safe from violence before the election, the poll found.
In addition, about 70% of Americans think the Secret Service is at least partially to blame for the assassination attempt.
Americans are also divided over whether the Department of Homeland Security will conduct a full and fair investigation of the assassination attempt. While about 52% of Democrats are extremely or very confident, only 21% of Republicans and 25% of independents are extremely or very confident that Homeland Security will conduct a full and fair investigation.
Faith in the Secret Service has dropped since the assassination attempt at a rally in Florida.
Two weeks ago, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned under pressure after the agency admitted making serious mistakes. Last week, the new acting director, Ronald Rowe, said he was “ashamed” of the agency’s security lapses.
