Top 10 Fascinating Secrets About the Secret Service You Might Not Know

Apollo Robbins is widely regarded by his peers as the best pickpocket magician. Although never charged with a crime, he's known in the profession as a "theatrical pickpocket." Robbins has amazed many famous figures with his sleight of hand, including Jennifer Garner and Penn Jillette. One of Robbins’ most memorable performances occurred in 2001 during a dinner with Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. While discussing Carter's security details, Robbins secretly snatched a watch, badge, keys, and a travel itinerary from the president’s pockets. This skillful act inadvertently embarrassed the Secret Service agent assigned to protect Carter.

On March 30, 1981, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Thanks to quick decisions made by Secret Service agent Jerry S. Parr, Reagan was rushed to the hospital and treated for his injuries, which could have been fatal had Parr not acted on instinct. Even more remarkable is that Parr, once a power line repairman, joined the Secret Service after watching the 1939 film "Code of the Secret Service," in which a young Ronald Reagan played a Secret Service agent named Brass Bancroft. Ironically, when Parr became a Secret Service agent, he ended up saving the life of the very president who had inspired him.

During his presidency, Harry S. Truman temporarily stayed at Blair House, a building across from the White House, while the White House underwent repairs. On November 1, 1950, two individuals from Puerto Rico attempted to storm the White House. At the time, Leslie William Coffelt, a police officer, was stationed outside Blair House. Several officers were injured during the attack, but Coffelt was the only one to lose his life. Coffelt managed to shoot one of the attackers, who died from a gunshot wound to the ear. The second attacker was arrested, sentenced to prison, and later pardoned in 1979. He was deported back to Puerto Rico and died in 1994.

In 2000, the movie Rush Hour 2 featured a scene where $1 billion in counterfeit bills were to be released into the air. The problem arose when the fake bills appeared too realistic, and background actors and pedestrians were instructed to pick up and use the counterfeit money. The U.S. Secret Service was not amused and quickly intervened, issuing a cease-and-desist order to the production company, Independent Studio Services. The Secret Service also confiscated $100 million in fake currency.

At the turn of the 20th century, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to design a pair of $20 gold coins, inspired by ancient Greek art. Almost a century later, these coins are worth a staggering $7 – $10 million each. In 1933, when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, the government changed the gold standard and recalled 445,000 of these Eagle coins, which were then melted down. Though never officially released, the Secret Service discovered in 1944 that some of these coins had entered public circulation through illegal means. Since then, the Secret Service has been relentlessly pursuing the recovery of these rare coins.

Before 1908, the U.S. Department of Justice relied on the Secret Service for federal investigations. This informal system continued until Congress banned it, fearing the funds would be used to support internal intelligence and espionage within the government. After some legal battles, Justice Secretary Charles Bonaparte selected a group of detectives from the Secret Service to handle investigations on behalf of the Department of Justice. This marked the beginnings of the FBI.

With the constant threat of terrorism, large events like the Super Bowl (a major football championship) present a high risk as thousands gather, making it a prime target for attacks. The Secret Service was called in to vet over 11,000 individuals, including personnel, vendors, and athletes. Additionally, the agency took extensive counterterrorism measures to secure the event and ensure it remained free from any terrorist threats.

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth. Had Lincoln been protected by a well-trained security force, he might have lived to this day. Initially, the Secret Service was established as a division of the U.S. Treasury Department to combat the rampant circulation of counterfeit currency after the Civil War. It was estimated that a third to half of the money in circulation at that time was counterfeit. The Secret Service was officially tasked with presidential protection following the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. On March 1, 2003, the agency was transferred from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security.

Rapper Eminem is known for his controversial lyrics, but in 2003, the lines from his song "We Are American" caught the attention of Secret Service officials. Eminem rapped, "(Expletive) money, I don’t rap for dead presidents. I’d rather see the president dead." The Secret Service routinely investigates anything that could be perceived as a threat to the president. As one Secret Service spokesperson stated, "We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it." The term 'dead presidents' refers to the images of deceased U.S. presidents on currency. An incomplete version of the song leaked online through hip-hop forums, triggering an investigation by the Secret Service. Ultimately, they chose not to pursue the matter further.

It may sound amusing, but Secret Service agents actually posed as students to keep a close watch on Chelsea Clinton, the only daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, during her four years at Stanford University. Chelsea’s room was equipped with bulletproof windows, and her Secret Service codename was "Energy". Two agents were stationed right next to her dorm room. Reports suggest that they often monitored her social media activity, only allowing her to use it with prior approval from the agents.