Running into special counsel Jack Smith near CNN's Washington, D.C., studios, a CNN camera crew filmed the Trump-focused prosecutor leaving a Subway store on Tuesday. This, of course, is not newsworthy in and of itself.
What is interesting, however, is that the video of Smith indicates his protective security detail has increased in size since the June 13 arraignment of former President Donald Trump. Also noteworthy: On Tuesday, Trump announced that he has received a "target letter" from Smith's office requiring his appearance before a grand jury investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
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The Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service will not comment on individual security matters. Still, CNN's video shows at least four deputy U.S. marshals from the agency's Judicial Security Division providing a close escort to Smith as he leaves the Subway store. Providing 90-degree divisions for 360-degree protective coverage, a four-person protective detail is the minimum ideal requirement for an individual assessed as a high threat.
In contrast, in footage prior to Trump's indictment, Smith was shown being escorted by only two apparent deputy marshals in a close formation. Both those deputy marshals were in plainclothes, whereas only one in Tuesday's CNN footage was in plainclothes (considering he was in both the original footage and this footage, that deputy marshal is probably the head of Smith's protective detail). Plainclothes details are employed where it is believed a protectee can more easily blend into their surroundings. Uniformed or suit-wearing details are employed in professional settings or as a deterrent measure.
To be clear, the seeming difference in terms of the size of Smith's protective detail could be coincidental. It might simply be that more deputy marshals were present out of view during his previous walkabouts. Still, it would make sense that Smith's security has been increased since Trump's federal indictment.
For one, Smith is now far more of a household name. That includes among the most ardent of Trump's supporters. Many of these supporters of the former president regard Smith as a partisan agent who is out not to enforce the law, but rather to enforce the politically concocted submission of the former president. The evidence against Trump in the classified documents case, if accurately presented in the government's court filings, does not easily support this understanding. But that doesn't matter in terms of personal security considerations. What matters is that the Marshals Service has likely detected or received an uptick in threats against Smith's person since Trump was indicted. It must anticipate that those threats will increase further if Smith submits charges against Trump in relation to the Capitol riot.
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The problem for the Marshals Service, and indeed for the U.S. Secret Service detail protecting Trump, is that the protective security requirements associated with Trump's trial(s) will continue to be resource intensive. Similar to the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service in regard to Iran-related threats, resource strains are a particular challenge for the U.S. Marshals Service. As I noted following Trump's indictment, a 2021 audit found that the agency needed an additional 1,200 deputy U.S. marshals (about 25% of its total workforce).
In short, we should expect to see Smith and Trump surrounded by large protection details for the foreseeable future. But the cost in taxpayer resources and law enforcement personnel won't be cheap.