Secret Service Spokesman: Threats Against Obama Have Dropped To Normal Levels

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan tells Newsweek that the number of threats against President Obama have dropped off in recent months. In October, the Boston Globe reported that a new internal Congressional Research Service said the Secret Service faces an unprecedented number of threats against the President.

According to Donovan, that report correctly states that there were "substantial spikes" in threats against Obama during the campaign, and immediately before and after the inauguration. Since then, however, the number of threats have decreased to levels similar to those of the Bush and Clinton Administrations. In fact, Donovan says, on some days Obama actually receives fewer threats than past presidents.

The earlier report also suggested that the increased number of threats against Obama is overwhelming the Secret Service, a claim bolstered by Ronald Kessler's book, "In the President's Secret Service," which claims that the number of threats against the current President represents a 400% increase over the previous administration. According to Donovan, such claims helped influence the Secret Service's decision to publicly discuss threat levels, something that is largely unprecedented.

Kessler defends his 400% figure to Newsweek, and also claims that this Secret Service is "covering up its deficiencies and dissembling to the media in the face of increased threats against the president."