The Secret Service has officially given Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) his new code name, as he will begin receiving protection from the agency as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
According to the Daily Mail, which cited Vance’s friend, the Republican is being dubbed “Bobcat” by the agency, which has faced scrutiny in recent weeks after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Secret Service code names are a long tradition used for presidents, vice presidents, first ladies, and other high-profile people under the agency’s protection.
While they were once used with real purpose to protect the nation’s top leaders, the names are largely ceremonial and used for ease of communication today, with encrypted technology being accessible.
The Washington Post once reported that the code names are selected by “sheer whim,” saying that not much goes into them. However, those that have been revealed resemble some connection to the person’s history or heritage.
Britannica reports that the following are known code names given to those under the protection of the Secret Service.
President Joe Biden has been dubbed “Celtic” by the Secret Service, potentially linked to his Irish roots. His wife and First Lady Jill Biden has the code name “Capri.”
Former President Donald Trump is reportedly known by the agency as “Mogul,” while former First Lady Melania Trump is “Muse.”
Trump’s predecessors were known as “Renegade,” former President Barack Obama, and “Renaissance,” former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Other code names include “Deacon” and “Dancer” for former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Former President John F. Kennedy was “Lancer,” given to him as a reference to the Camelot knight Lancelot, according to Britannica. Former First Lady Jackie Kennedy went by “Lace” and Caroline Kennedy “Lyric.”
Former President Bill Clinton was reportedly “Eagle,” and his wife and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was “Evergreen.”
The now presumed Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, is known by the Secret Service as “Pioneer.”
As for the latest to get his code name, the Secret Service and Mogul-Bobcat Campaign have not yet responded to requests for comment.