Top Trump Official Announces He Is Stepping Down

A major leadership change is coming to the U.S. Secret Service after Deputy Director Matthew C. Quinn announced Friday that he will step down November 7, ending an 18-month tenure focused on strengthening the agency’s operations, leadership and staffing.

Quinn, the agency’s 24th deputy director, confirmed his departure in a public statement on X and an internal letter to Secret Service personnel, explaining that the decision followed months of transition planning with Director Sean Curran.

“Today I informed the men and women of the [Secret Service] that I will be transitioning out of my role as Deputy Director,” Quinn wrote.

“Director Curran and I have been working on a thoughtful transition plan for months now. Proud of the men & women of the USSS and all your accomplishments!”

The announcement comes as the agency continues addressing significant security challenges, including emerging drone threats, staffing demands and the protection of senior government officials.

Despite the timing, Quinn emphasized that his departure was planned and that he believes the Secret Service is positioned for continued progress.

In an internal letter obtained by NewsNation, Quinn explained that he had discussed his eventual departure with Curran well before Friday’s announcement.

He said he had approached his return to federal service with a specific objective: helping the agency implement reforms before transitioning leadership responsibilities to the next generation.

Quinn wrote that he told Curran the previous year that “one of my goals was to work myself out of this job as quickly as possible. No timeline, just the right time, and I believe that time is now.”

He acknowledged that personal considerations played a role in his decision but emphasized his confidence in the agency’s current direction.

“Part of that calculus is for personal reasons, but most of all it is knowing that the Secret Service is well-positioned for the future,” Quinn explained.

He described his time as deputy director as “the most rewarding of my career” and acknowledged that leaving the position was “not an easy decision.”

Quinn’s departure marks the conclusion of his second period of service with the agency.

He originally retired from the Secret Service in 2021 after more than two decades, having held several senior operational positions.

Those assignments included deputy assistant director for the Office of Protective Operations and special agent in charge of the Special Operations Division.

His background gave him extensive experience overseeing protective operations and specialized security responsibilities.

Following his retirement, Quinn entered the private sector, serving as senior vice president at Fortem Technologies, a company specializing in counter-drone technology.

The company’s systems include DroneHunter, an unmanned aircraft designed to intercept unauthorized drones.

Quinn returned to the Secret Service in May 2025 at Curran’s personal request.

His decision to rejoin the agency came during a period of heightened attention to its protective capabilities, organizational structure and operational readiness.

In his farewell letter, Quinn made clear that he never intended his return to become a permanent second career.

“I initially retired from the Secret Service in 2021 as a Deputy Assistant Director in OPO. For me, returning to the Service was never intended to be a long-term second career, rather an opportunity to support Director Curran and the agency to make rapid, effective change across the organization.”

Quinn also emphasized the importance of developing leadership talent within the Secret Service.

He argued that promoting experienced personnel from within the organization is one of the agency’s strengths and expressed confidence that its leadership pipeline has improved.

According to his letter, Quinn believes the agency is now positioned to fill future deputy director vacancies internally rather than seeking outside candidates.

His comments suggest that leadership development and organizational stability were among the priorities he sought to advance during his tenure.

Quinn also pointed to improvements in recruitment and staffing.

According to figures cited during his tenure, the Secret Service recorded a net gain of 929 law enforcement personnel during the current fiscal year, compared with a net gain of just 87 the previous year.

The increase represents a substantial improvement in reported staffing growth.

Personnel levels are particularly important for an agency responsible for protecting the president, vice president, visiting foreign dignitaries and other designated individuals while also securing major national events.

Protective assignments require extensive coordination, specialized training and personnel capable of responding to a wide range of threats.

Quinn’s announcement also followed a nationally televised interview in which he and Curran discussed some of the security challenges confronting the Secret Service.

During an October 11 segment on CBS’s *60 Minutes*, Quinn addressed the growing threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems, particularly coordinated groups of drones operating together.

“Swarms are a huge problem and a big threat,” Quinn said.

“I’d love to tell you the swarm problem is solved. It’s not.”

His comments highlighted an increasingly complex security concern for federal protective agencies.

Small unmanned aircraft can present challenges because of their mobility, relatively low cost and ability to approach sensitive locations from multiple directions.

Coordinated drone activity creates additional difficulties for detection and interception systems.

Quinn’s experience in the counter-drone technology industry gave him a professional background directly relevant to those emerging threats.

Despite acknowledging that the broader drone swarm problem remains unresolved, Quinn expressed confidence in the protective measures surrounding the White House.

“I will tell you that at the White House, White House is the safest place on Earth,” he said during the interview.

The remarks reflected his assessment of the security measures protecting one of the country’s most sensitive government facilities.

His departure comes at a time when federal protective agencies are continuing to evaluate how evolving technologies could affect security planning.

In his internal message, Quinn emphasized that the Secret Service must remain focused on adapting to those challenges.

He warned that “the stakes have never been higher” and encouraged personnel to maintain the standards required of the agency.

Quinn urged employees to “stay safe, look out for each other, and continue pushing the limits of what is possible.”

He also indicated that he intends to remain available to support the organization after leaving his leadership position.

The announcement did not identify who will replace Quinn as deputy director.

His departure will leave Director Curran responsible for overseeing the next leadership transition while maintaining the agency’s operational responsibilities.

Quinn’s public explanation indicates that the transition was developed over several months rather than being an abrupt personnel decision.

He has not publicly linked his departure to a specific controversy, disagreement or failure within the agency.

Instead, his statements emphasize the completion of the objectives that brought him back to the Secret Service in 2025.

With his November 7 departure approaching, Quinn is preparing to conclude a career chapter that began with his return from retirement and included efforts to strengthen the agency’s staffing, leadership structure and operational capabilities.

His final message to personnel underscored both the demands of their work and his confidence in their ability to meet future challenges.

For the Secret Service, the next step will be selecting a successor and continuing the organizational changes Quinn and Curran have pursued.

For Quinn, the departure represents a second exit from an agency where he spent more than two decades serving in protective and leadership roles.

And according to his own explanation, he is leaving because he believes the organization is ready for what comes next.