Taxpayers Foot Bill for Secret Service's New Tailored Suits After Noem's Discontent
Taxpayer dollars will fund tailored suits for Secret Service members following Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's disapproval of their current attire, as revealed in a recent report.
According to a solicitation from the Department of Homeland Security, graduates from protective detail training will receive two navy blue suits, complete with their names embroidered inside the jackets. The requirement specifies that all suits must be manufactured entirely within the United States, as outlined in a document published last week.
Sources familiar with the situation indicated that Noem was dissatisfied with the suits previously purchased by the protective detail, which prompted this new procurement initiative.
The financial implications of this contract remain undetermined, but it is set to cover a five-year ordering period. A source within the Secret Service mentioned that funding for the suits has been identified within its existing budget. However, uncertainty looms over whether an ongoing partial government shutdown will impact this solicitation, particularly as Democrats are currently withholding funding from DHS amid disputes over immigration enforcement reforms.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin clarified that the new suits are not merely a matter of appearance. “This does not have to do with optics,” she stated.
McLaughlin further explained that while agents in the Secret Service’s Uniformed Division do not incur costs for their on-duty clothing, those in protective details currently do. Uniformed Division officers typically wear protective vests and dark uniforms.
“This is to fix the inequity that non-uniformed [officers] have to pay for their uniform,” she added.
In response to the initiative, former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger, known for his criticism of the Trump administration, took to social media to express his disdain. “DHS has so much money (thank GOP) that now new secret service detail agents get two new tailored suits each!” he posted on X.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump last summer, allocated approximately $170 billion for immigration enforcement over several years. Kinzinger quipped that the new suits “will look nice on the plush new jet too,” referencing a reported $70 million luxury jet that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to acquire.
