Sean Michael Curran (born ) is an American law enforcement officer who has been serving as the 28th

director of the United States Secret Service The director of the United States Secret Service is the head of the United States Secret Service, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations. The Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Departm ...

in the

second Trump administration Donald Trump's second and current tenure as the president of the United States began upon his inauguration as the 47th president on January 20, 2025. On his first day, Trump pardoned about 1,500 people convicted of offenses in the Janua ...

since January 22, 2025. Curran led President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

's protective detail before his second inauguration. Curran was present during the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. During the shooting, he rushed to shield Trump when he was shot in the right ear.

Early life and education

Sean Michael Curran was born in 1976 or 1977, in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. He received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in political science from

Stockton University Stockton University is a public university in Galloway Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. It is named for Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence ...

and a Master of Arts in human resources training and development from

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...

Career

Curran first joined the Secret Service in September 2001 in the Newark field office, later joining the dignitary protection division and working on President Obama's detail. He was promoted to deputy special agent in charge of the Presidential Protective Detail on December 29, 2024. Curran served as the special agent in charge of Trump's security detail for four years and sprung to cover him on stage during the first assassination attempt against him on July 13, 2024, in

Butler, Pennsylvania Butler is a city in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is north of Pittsburgh and part of the Greater Pittsburgh region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,502. Butler is named after Major General ...

. U.S. media have identified him as the man wearing sunglasses to the right of Trump in pictures taken as the then-candidate was being escorted off stage. In his role leading the former president's protective team, Curran oversaw 85 personnel.

Director of the US Secret Service

On January 22, 2025, President

appointed Curran to become the next

. In a statement explaining his decision, Trump highlighted Curran's bravery, writing, "He proved his fearless courage when he risked his own life to help save mine from an assassin's bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania." Before his appointment, Curran had not yet had a posting at Secret Service headquarters, or been promoted to the

Senior Executive Service The Senior Executive Service (SES) is a position classification in the United States federal civil service equivalent to general officer or flag officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service Reform Act of ...

. Appointment as the Secret Service director does not require Senate confirmation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curran, Sean Directors of the United States Secret Service 1970s births Living people United States Secret Service agents Law enforcement officials from Washington, D.C. Second Trump administration personnel Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania 20th-century people from New Jersey 21st-century people from New Jersey