A Secret Service agent assigned to protect Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in a physical fight with other agents and was later removed from duty. The incident occurred around 9 am near Joint Base Andrews, on the outskirts of Washington DC, before Harris arrived.
The agent involved, whose identity remains undisclosed, was promptly removed from their assignment, according to the Secret Service speaking to The New York Post.
“A US Secret Service special agent supporting the Vice President’s departure from Joint Base Andrews began displaying behaviour their colleagues found distressing. The US Secret Service takes the safety and health of our employees very seriously,” said Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the US Secret Service, to The New York Post.
Medical personnel responded to the scene, and although the agent had been present for Harris’ planned departure, her trip was not delayed. Guglielmi stated that due to it being a “medical matter”, further details would not be disclosed, as reported by The New York Post.
Harris continued her trip to New York City, where she was scheduled to appear on “The Drew Barrymore Show”.
The agent involved in the altercation was armed and showed aggression towards others. Despite efforts by supervisors to calm the situation, it escalated into a physical altercation, according to the Washington Examiner. That agent acted “erratically” when he arrived on the scene and eventually got on top of the special agent in charge of the vice president, then began punching him, RealClearPolitics reported. The agent was then handcuffed and received medical attention.
The incident has raised questions about the agent’s hiring process, with scrutiny focused on background assessments, as reported by RealClearPolitics. Previous concerns about the agent’s behaviour were also noted. According to The New York Post, Guglielmi confirmed that Harris was briefed on the situation.
