Would Trump get Secret Service if he goes to prison? What we know

Former President Donald Trump is faces felony charges in four different criminal cases and could face a prison sentence if convicted.

These criminal cases involve allegations of mishandling classified documents, election interference and engaging in a covert money-making scheme during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump’s legal challenges have led many VERIFY readers to question whether the former president would receive Secret Service protection in the event of a conviction and prison time.

Does the former president have Secret Service protection in prison?

Federal law does not specify whether a former president would receive Secret Service protection in prison, and no historical precedent exists.

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Federal law authorized the Secret Service to protect former presidents and their spouses during their lifetimes, unless they decline protection, since 1965.

But the law does not specify whether the lifetime protection applies to a detained former president. There is also no precedent because the former president has never been sentenced to prison.

If Trump is convicted of any criminal charges and sentenced to prison, the US government will face an “unprecedented logistical nightmare,” said Bradley Moss, a lawyer specializing in national security. told VERIFY.

“No one knows for certain how this will be handled logistically, although it is likely that Mr. Trump will be held in a private prison facility separate from other convicts,” Moss speak.

Sonny Smith, a former Secret Service agent, said he thinks the agency “will continue” to protect Trump in prison if Congress does not issue an executive order or amend federal law eliminating the lifetime protection. your.

However, he believes there are very few cases where a former president actually ends up in prison. In the event of a conviction, Smith said he thought Trump would be sentenced to home confinement “for security purposes.”

Ronald Kessler, a journalist and author of books about the Secret Service, also told VERIFY Trump could avoid prison if convicted due to the challenges of protecting the Secret Service.

“I think there could be some compromise where he is restricted to Mar-a-Lago and not allowed to travel,” Kessler said. “The Secret Service would say, ‘Well, we can’t really protect him in prison. There are too many threats in prison.” And so I think in that case, the judge would grant him custody.”

It’s unclear whether Trump would receive prison time if convicted. But we can VERIFY that there is no historical precedent for the Secret Service protecting a potentially detained former president.