President-elect Donald Trump has long prized loyalty and often finds ways to reward those who've proven their commitment to him through their service.

As such, Trump will reportedly appoint Sean Curran, the head of his personal Secret Service protective detail, as the next director of the entire U.S. Secret Service, according to The Economic Times.

Curran has been by Trump's side for the past several years and was one of the first agents to rush the stage to protect the former and future president while bullets were still flying during the first public assassination attempt against Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania in July last year.

Trump to appoint new Secret Service director

The appointment was announced Friday morning not by President-elect Trump but rather by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who shared a video clip of the immediate aftermath of the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which Agent Curran is prominently featured.

"President Trump will be naming Sean Curran, who heads his personal detail, to be Secret Service Director," Don Jr. wrote. "Sean is a great patriot and will stop all the insanity once and for all. There’s not a better person to be in this position!"

🚨 #BREAKING: President Trump will be naming Sean Curran, who heads his personal detail, to be Secret Service Director.

Sean is a great patriot and will stop all the insanity once and for all. There’s not a better person to be in this position!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HWdIxuidYI

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 17, 2025

Former Secret Service Agent Bill Gage, who served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, told Fox News of the announced pick, "Trump wanted someone he could trust, and they clearly have formed a bond after Pennsylvania."

"Even with all of the mistakes in Butler, the mistakes were from the advance team. The agents assigned to Trump and Curran performed exactly as trained," he added.

Curran has led Trump's 85-strong protective detail for years

CNN reported that multiple sources confirmed the news that President-elect Trump intends to name Curran the next Secret Service director.

Curran would replace Acting Director Ronald Rowe, who took over for ex-Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned in disgrace following the Butler assassination attempt.

Per the sources, Curran has been in charge of Trump's 85-person protective team for the past four years, during which he has developed "a close, personal relationship with the president-elect."

Critics point to lack of managerial experience

There are, of course, some unnamed critics of the announced appointment, according to CNN, who acknowledge Curran's bravery and loyalty but question whether he has the managerial experience or broader operational expertise to run the entire Secret Service.

Those critics point to the fact that Curran has never worked at the agency's headquarters in Washington D.C. or been a member of the Senior Executive Service -- though those facts may be viewed as attributes in Curran's favor rather than negatives against him in Trump's view.

Furthermore, the outlet noted that supervising Trump's protective detail is no ordinary assignment, and sources said Curran had long been pushing for agency improvements and more resources to help keep his charge safe from harm.