Zero Fail audiobook cover - The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service

Zero Fail

The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service

Carol Leonnig

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Zero Fail
Origins & Early Failures+
Politicization & Policy Shifts+
Heroism & Internal Purges+
Moral & Security Compromises+
Institutional Rot & Scandals+
Ineptitude & Leadership Failure+
Strain & Exploitation+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
Why was the Secret Service initially ill-equipped to protect the president when they were assigned the task after William McKinley's assassination?
  • A. They were originally established to combat the counterfeiting industry and lacked a cohesive strategy for executive protection.
  • B. They were primarily a foreign intelligence gathering agency with no domestic jurisdiction.
  • C. They were an honorary civilian guard composed of volunteers with no combat or tactical training.
  • D. They were formed as a temporary task force with no permanent funding or leadership structure.
Question 2 of 8
How did Richard Nixon's presidency negatively impact the internal culture of the Secret Service?
  • A. He drastically cut their budget, leading to widespread equipment failures and low morale.
  • B. He forced agents to undertake dangerous overseas military missions, stretching the agency thin.
  • C. He disbanded the agency's leadership, replacing them with unvetted civilian political appointees.
  • D. He created division by trying to use agents to spy on political rivals, prioritizing personal loyalty over standard duties.
Question 3 of 8
What specific procedural change was implemented by the Secret Service after the assassination attempt on Gerald Ford by Sara Jane Moore?
  • A. Presidents were no longer allowed to walk through public hotel lobbies or unsecured public spaces.
  • B. Agents were required to hold the presidential limousine door open as the president approached.
  • C. The use of bulletproof vests became mandatory for the president during all public appearances.
  • D. The Secret Service mandated the use of heavily armored decoy vehicles in all presidential motorcades.
Question 4 of 8
Following the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, how did the leadership dynamics of the Secret Service change?
  • A. The agency became highly unified under the intellectual and strategic approach of Director Stu Knight.
  • B. The agency became divided, ultimately favoring a 'cowboy attitude' leader who purged agents deemed disloyal.
  • C. The agency completely banned agents from engaging in any off-duty socializing to enforce strict discipline.
  • D. The agency lost its independent status and its leadership was absorbed by the Department of Defense.
Question 5 of 8
How did Bill Clinton's behavior specifically test the professional boundaries of the Secret Service?
  • A. Agents were forced to lie under oath about the president's financial dealings during his campaign.
  • B. Agents were required to physically intimidate political rivals and journalists on his behalf.
  • C. Agents were frequently asked to ignore obvious security risks to accommodate his extramarital affairs.
  • D. Agents had to continuously cover up his unauthorized, solitary departures from the White House grounds.
Question 6 of 8
Why were many Secret Service insiders resentful when agents were fired over the 2012 'Hookergate' scandal in Cartagena?
  • A. Because the women involved were actually undercover foreign operatives attempting to blackmail the agents.
  • B. Because paying for sex with foreign women on assignment was a long-standing practice that had never previously been punished.
  • C. Because the agents were completely off-duty and had been given explicit permission to leave their hotels.
  • D. Because the local Colombian police had officially cleared the agents of any wrongdoing before the media got involved.
Question 7 of 8
What catastrophic security failure led directly to the resignation of Secret Service Director Julia Pierson in 2014?
  • A. An intruder bypassed multiple security layers due to equipment and communication failures and walked into the White House.
  • B. A group of agents was caught smuggling illegal substances during a high-profile presidential trip to Amsterdam.
  • C. The president's motorcade was intentionally led down an unsecured, dead-end street during a foreign visit.
  • D. Classified documents detailing the president's highly sensitive daily schedule were leaked to a foreign press outlet.
Question 8 of 8
How did Donald Trump's presidency exacerbate the financial and operational strain on the foundering Secret Service?
  • A. He demanded that the agency hire thousands of new, untrained recruits to replace veteran agents he disliked.
  • B. He repeatedly ordered the Secret Service to provide taxpayer-funded security details for his political donors.
  • C. His frequent travel and family living arrangements drastically increased costs, with his own organization profiting from the Service's expenses.
  • D. He completely eliminated the agency's budget for technological upgrades, forcing agents to use outdated weaponry.

Zero Fail — Full Chapter Overview

Zero Fail Summary & Overview

Zero Fail (2021) is a no-nonsense account of the ineptitude and recklessness that have plagued the US Secret Service in recent decades. From Kennedy to Trump, the Service has continually covered up for, and even promoted, agents who made impulsive, ill-considered and simply bad decisions. 

Who Should Listen to Zero Fail?

  • Popcorn-munching gossip-lovers
  • American history buffs
  • News junkies

About the Author: Carol Leonnig

Carol Leonnig is a journalist with the Washington Post. She has won three Pulitzers, including one for her work on the Secret Service. She is also the coauthor of a book about the Trump presidency, entitled A Very Stable Genius. 

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