Rep. Bennie Thompson, former chairman of the House Jan. 6 Committee, introduced a bill Friday that would strip former President Donald Trump of Secret Service protection if he is sentenced to prison.
“Unfortunately, current law does not provide for the impact of Secret Service protection on a protected person’s prison sentence — even a former president,” Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said in a statement released by his desk. “It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthinkable scenario could become our reality.”
Thompson addresses possible concerns that Trump would be sentenced to prison following a conviction on any of the 91 counts out of the four indictments he faces.
As Business Insider previously reported, there would be significant logistical hurdles to overcome if Trump were to be incarcerated. One of the biggest concerns would be the fate of Trump’s Secret Service. By law, former presidents and their spouses are entitled to lifetime protection unless they opt out. Children of former presidents are also entitled to protection until age 16.
Trump’s first criminal trial began in Manhattan earlier this week. New York prosecutors say the former president falsified business records related to money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. On paper, Trump could face more than 600 years in prison based on the combined charges from the four cases pending against him. In reality, he would likely serve much less time, depending on sentencing guidelines. The maximum sentence for each count Trump faces in New York is four years in prison.
Under Thompson’s bill, anyone protected by the Secret Service would have their security removed if convicted of a state or federal offense punishable by at least a year in prison. The legislation does not directly mention Trump. As such, this could apply to any future president, vice president, and their families. The Secret Service also protects the main presidential candidates.
Thompson’s bill is unlikely to pass the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority. Still, it’s remarkable that a Democrat as high-ranking as Thompson would respond to Trump’s legal struggles in this way. President Joe Biden and his campaign have remained largely silent on the Manhattan trial.
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