A new legislative proposal is stirring up discussions in Washington.
According to Breitbart, Representative Bennie Thompson has introduced a bill that could end Secret Service protection for convicted felons sentenced to prison for more than a year, impacting even former presidents. Specifically, it would put Donald Trump in danger by removing his Secret Service detail.
The suggested law, known officially as the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act, revolves around the deep concerns regarding how Secret Service protection could influence routine prison procedures. If a protected individual were sentenced to a correctional facility, this act would terminate their Secret Service detail immediately.
The proposal does not directly name any individual, yet it does recognize the current legal challenges faced by former President Donald Trump, who is up against numerous felony charges. It is indeed a delicate time for the former president; since April 2023, he has been dealing with 34 counts related to falsified business documents in connection with payments to Stormy Daniels.
Representative Bennie Thompson explained the rationale behind his legislative push.
"Unfortunately, current law doesn’t anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee—even a former President. It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthought-of scenario could become our reality. Therefore, it is necessary for us to be prepared and update the law so the American people can be assured that protective status does not translate into special treatment—and that those who are sentenced to prison will indeed serve the time required of them."
This initiative aims at ensuring fairness in the legal process by eliminating any special treatment that could arise from continuous protective service in penal facilities.
Moreover, the trial proceedings themselves for Trump are proving challenging. Jury selection, which began in early April 2024, has seen potential jurors set aside due to biases, pointing at the high level of public and media scrutiny surrounding his case.
Not everyone agrees with the implications of the DISGRACED Act. Byron York, a renowned political correspondent, has expressed concerns that stripping former President Trump of his Secret Service protection might increase the risk to his safety.
"Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson ran the January 6 committee, which mixed elements of show trial and reality series. Focused solely on Trump, of course. Now, Thompson wants to take away Trump’s Secret Service protection if Trump is convicted on any of the 88 felony charges leveled against him by elected Democratic prosecutors and a Biden Justice Department appointee. Obvious subtext here is that removing USSS would make it easier for someone to kill Trump, which is arguably the goal of Thompson’s bill, H.R. 8081: The DISGRACED Former Protectees Act."
These remarks underscore the potentially life-threatening ramifications of the legislation, according to some critics.
The bill's future is now in the hands of Congress. If passed, it could significantly alter how former presidents, including Trump, are treated post-conviction, particularly concerning their security arrangements.
The introduction of the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act by Rep. Bennie Thompson is a critical development in U.S. legislative history. It boldly addresses the intersection of national security, presidential legacy, and criminal justice.
As debates continue and the case against Donald Trump progresses, the potential impacts of this legislation will become clearer. What remains certain is that the principles of equality before the law and the integrity of the penal system remain at the forefront of this legislative effort.
This bill possibly signifies a monumental shift in how former leaders are held accountable under U.S. law and how their post-presidency lives are secured.
