September 4, 2025
Reports of CHP taking on security detail for Harris came in late August after Trump signed an executive order to end her extended protection.
After President Donald Trump ended Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris, officials from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) are stepping up to the plate, CBS News reports.
As part of the LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, special units such as the Tactical Response Teams, which provide security at high-profile events, have worked closely with the Secret Service and the Department of State to provide protection to the president, vice president, and foreign dignitaries.
Reports of the CHP taking on a security detail for Harris began to emerge in late August, following Trump’s signing of an executive order to end her extended protection, reversing an order from former President Joe Biden.
Under a law passed by Congress in 2008, previous vice presidents, their spouses, and children under 16 are set to receive protection by the Secret Service for up to six months after leaving the White House.
Prior to leaving, Biden signed an order to extend Harris’s detail to 18 months. Still, Trump ordered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to rescind the order starting Sept. 1. That the U.S. Secret Service ran an assessment on threats toward Harris and found nothing alarming aided Trump’s decision.
Criticism started to pour in on the timing of the order.
The former California attorney general is scheduled to start a high-profile book tour for her memoir, 107 Days, covering her short-lived campaign to become the first female President of the U.S.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will first have to sign off on CHP providing security for Harris, but there is also a cost concern. According to Fox 26 News, the agency has refused to release the line-item costs of protection for specific individuals. However, with the CHP’s overall budget being close to $3.2 billion, the base personnel costs for several officers could amount to $8 million annually.
Possible protection for Harris could include two officers on duty at all times, such as a driver and close protection, consisting of three shifts per day, equaling six officers. With added supervisors and intel support, the total number of officers could go up to 40. Additional security doesn’t include potential protection for the book tour, which could increase the cost.
Since taking over the White House for a second term, Trump has removed Secret Service protection for several former dignitaries, including Biden’s adult children, Hunter and Ashley Biden, as well as Trump’s former national security adviser during his first term, John Bolton.
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