Secret Service protection policy for former presidents

The Secret Service protection policy for former presidents brought federal protection to Harry S. Truman after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but its implementation depended on the Trumans’ consent. Their initial refusal—and eventual acceptance after a personal appeal from Lyndon B. Johnson—showed the tension between providing security and preserving the privacy of their post-presidential lives.

Authorization and Arrival

In the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Congress passed a bill authorizing Secret Service protection for former presidents. A detail arrived in Independence, where an agent called at the Truman home to introduce himself and explain that Harry S. Truman would no longer need his own bodyguard, Mike Westwood.

Truman’s Initial Refusal

Truman rejected the arrangement at once, telling the agent, “Well, I no longer have a need for you, so get out of here.” Bess Truman also opposed the agents’ return to their lives and refused to allow them onto the property. Margaret Truman described her mother’s reaction as if she had just been told she would have to spend four more years in the White House. The new protection was therefore authorized by law but not immediately welcomed by the people it was intended to protect.

Acceptance and Continuing Protection

Lyndon B. Johnson personally telephoned one evening and persuaded Bess Truman that the Secret Service should be reinstated. The Trumans then agreed to accept the detail and were watched over from that point onward. The arrangement did not displace Mike Westwood: he continued accompanying Truman as before, alongside the Secret Service protection.