**Secret Service Agents Warn of 'Unsustainable' Conditions Amid Increased Workload**

As former President Donald Trump plans a visit to Butler, Pennsylvania, the location of a previous assassination attempt in July, current and former Secret Service agents are sounding alarms about the critical state of their working conditions. They describe an atmosphere where exhaustion is rampant, creating a dangerous environment where lapses in judgment could lead to severe consequences.


According to a report by NBC News, the Secret Service is nearing a breaking point as agents grapple with heightened responsibilities and minimal rest. The strain has been so severe that some agents have reportedly fallen asleep during assignments. This has led to growing resentment within the agency, with one agent suggesting that foreign adversaries might exploit the overburdened agents.


"Any morale that may have existed in this agency is just absolutely down the drain; people are really starting to despise this agency," an anonymous agent revealed to NBC. Concerns are growing that the current state of affairs could lead to agents becoming compromised or even selling sensitive information.


Tensions and mistakes among agents are becoming more frequent, underscoring the crucial need for alertness in their line of work. "If something goes wrong, you don't have time to second guess. Everyone is so tired that you can see it's taking time to process things and react accordingly," another source within the agency noted.


A former Secret Service official emphasized the gravity of the situation, calling for urgent leadership action to address the agency's instability. This official warned that the combined issues of overwork and international targeting are creating a precarious situation. "The US Secret Service is killing their people, and worse, they are supposed to have a zero-fail protective mission on zero rest/sleep," a former agent lamented.


Additional staff support is urgently needed, according to agents, to maintain the safety of those under their protection, which includes both current and former presidents and their families. The task of devising comprehensive security plans for upcoming travel is becoming increasingly challenging given the heightened threats from both domestic and foreign actors.


One agent highlighted the increased security risks due to exhaustion. "You already have agents that are burnt out, exhausted, now having even less time to make a solid security plan and get all assets in order," an anonymous current agent stated.


Aside from Butler, Trump faced another assassination attempt in September while playing golf at one of his courses. The Secret Service has urged the former president to avoid golfing due to the difficulty of securing the extensive area of an 18-hole golf course. "Outdoor events of that size and duration, three-to-five hours, are incredibly difficult and stressful," former Secret Service agent Paul Eckloff explained to Politico.


The warnings from Secret Service agents underline the urgent need for reforms to prevent potential security lapses due to agent exhaustion and overwork.