A former Secret Service agent prepared to put his life on the line to protect Barack Obama has quit to stand as a Republican against the U.S. president's Democratic Party.
Daniel Bongino has caused eyebrows to be raised in the famously private and apolitical agency with his bid to represent Maryland in the Senate.
After spending 12 years protecting presidents, candidates, and world leaders, including George W Bush, he shadowed Mr Obama for nearly two years and was frequently by his side as the president met the public. He was also the lead agent co-ordinating Mr Obama's trips to Prague, Jakarta and Afghanistan.
Guarding U.S. presidents is regarded as the highest honour in the Secret Service, and agents are trained to throw themselves between a gunman and the president in any assassination attempt.
It is exceptionally rare for a member of the agency to follow a political career.
Mr Bongino, who was brought up in New York, is a conservative, Tea Party type of Republican. He resigned five months ago and now aims to capture a Senate seat from the Democrats for the first time in Maryland since 1987.
He said that his only differences with the president were ideological.
"I just don't agree with the way the country is going. We have got to get government out of the way," he said, adding that the president had always treated him well. The Secret Service declined to comment.
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