Secret Service director: Current polarization ‘plays into’ threat environment

Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle said Sunday that current political divisions play into the domestic threat environment as her agency prepares to protect both parties’ nominating conventions this summer.

When asked by “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos about how “extreme political polarization” feeds “into the threat environment,” Cheatle said threats are constantly evolving but conceded that division plays a role.

“I think it plays into it,” she said. “I think that the environment that we’re dealing with today is certainly different than it was four years ago. I’m sure we’ll see an evolution in the next four years, as well, but it is definitely something that we take into consideration.”

Cheatle added that “there’s nothing specific and nothing credible out there right now.”

Republicans are hosting their convention from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, and Democrats will hold theirs from Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

Read more: ABC News