Some People Believe the Secret Service Use Fake Hands to Conceal Weapons

Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in July of 2024, there has been a great deal of scrutiny and attention drawn to the Secret Service. It's the job of the Secret Service to protect the president, presidential candidates, and those associated with those political figures, and the fact that a potential assassin got so close to killing the former president has left many wondering whether they're competent.

In addition to concerns about their competence, though, the scrutiny on the Secret Service has also revived an older theory about one particular tactic they use to protect the people they're charged with keeping safe. The tactic in question involves the use of a fake hand, and many want to know whether it's real or not.

On multiple occasions in recent years, video evidence has seemed to emerge that suggests that one Secret Service agent or another is wearing a fake hand. The idea behind these fake hands is that they allow the agent in question to use their real hand to hold a gun under their coat. In essence, then, they put the fake hand on so that potential assassins don't know that their real hand is already holding a firearm.

This theory became particularly popular following Donald Trump's inauguration when many suggested that one Secret Service agent in particular seemed to have a hand that wasn't moving. While the isolated clip seemed to confirm the story, there were several other moments when that particular agent was seen moving their fingers and hands in a way that would not be possible with a fake hand.

While this particular instance was debunked, many remained insistent that this was something the Secret Service has done in some circumstances. Whether that's true or not remains unclear, and it's probably not an accident that we don't know every single way that the Secret Service protects the president. What seems likely, though, is that at least the vast majority of the time, there are no fake hands involved.

While it might be cool to imagine that the Secret Service is trying to trick people into thinking that they are less prepared than they are, the logic of that theory doesn't totally make sense. Part of the reason the Secret Service exists is to discourage attempts on the president's life. If they're there, potential assassins have to know that the odds are good that the assassin won't make it out alive.

Secret Service agents are also probably pretty good at drawing their guns quickly, so having one already in your hand might not save much time. What's more, having a fake hand could leave you encumbered in ways that you would rather not be, which further reinforces the idea that a Secret Service agent probably wouldn't use a fake hand outside of very unusual circumstances. Never say never, though, at least until we know for sure.