Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn to Step Down Nov. 7

Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn is stepping down, with his last day set for Nov. 7, according to RealClearPolitics. Quinn announced the move in a post on X Friday afternoon, writing that he had told the agency’s workforce he “will be transitioning out of my role as Deputy Director” and that he and Director Sean Curran “have been working on a thoughtful transition plan for months now.”

Quinn has served as deputy director since May 19, 2025, according to NewsNation, which reported that he came out of retirement at Curran’s personal request. He retired from the Secret Service in 2021 after more than two decades with the agency, NewsNation and RealClearPolitics reported.

Today I informed the men and women of the @SecretService that I will be transitioning out of my role as Deputy Director. 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!

— U.S. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn (@SecretSvcDepDir) October 16, 2026

In a letter to Secret Service employees obtained by NewsNation, Quinn said leaving had been part of the plan from the start. “I also told the Director last year that one of my goals was to work myself out of this job as quickly as possible,” Quinn wrote, according to NewsNation. “No timeline, just the right time, and I believe that time is now.”

Quinn wrote in the letter that “part of that calculus is for personal reasons,” and NewsNation reported that he is leaving to spend time with his family after 18 months in the job. In the same letter, Quinn said the agency recorded a net gain of 929 law enforcement personnel this year, compared with 87 last year, according to NewsNation.

Questions about drones and a past employer

The announcement came days after CBS News’ “60 Minutes” aired a joint interview with Curran and Quinn on Sunday, Oct. 11, that featured the agency’s counter-drone systems, RealClearPolitics reported. The segment included a demonstration of DroneHunter, a net-capture drone made by Fortem Technologies, according to NewsNation.

Quinn worked as a senior vice president at Fortem for three years between his retirement and his return to the Secret Service, according to RealClearPolitics, which reported that the “60 Minutes” segment did not mention that past role. Several agents have questioned whether Quinn should have recused himself from decisions on DroneHunter purchases, RealClearPolitics reported. Quinn told NewsNation there is no conflict of interest related to his work at the Secret Service.

RealClearPolitics also reported that several current and former agents criticized Quinn after he said in the interview that the agency was not prepared for an attack by a swarm of drones. The outlet said it sent the Secret Service detailed questions over the past 48 hours, including whether DroneHunter purchases were competitively bid, and that the agency did not respond.

Separately, Secret Service sources told RealClearPolitics they are questioning the “60 Minutes” account that the agency used electronic jamming equipment to take down a drone at last December’s Army-Navy game in Baltimore, which the president attended. According to those sources, the downed drone was most likely one of the agency’s own surveillance drones, and two sources said it fell on or near Interstate 395. The Secret Service did not respond to RealClearPolitics’ questions about that incident, the outlet reported.

Reporting so far has not established that the drone questions played any role in Quinn’s decision. Quinn has described his exit as a planned transition, and in his letter he said he believes the Secret Service “is well-positioned for the future,” according to NewsNation.

Quinn’s departure is a leadership change at the agency that protects the president, the vice president and other senior officials. The Independent reported that his announcement came roughly an hour after White House officials said Katie Zacharia was out as press secretary after five days in the role. The Secret Service has not announced who will replace Quinn as deputy director.

Reporting by Daily Beltway.