Feinstein: Pope to be ‘No. 1 security issue’ while in US

Intelligence officials aren’t taking any chances in protecting Pope Francis during his visit to the U.S. this week, even though they aren’t aware of any specific threats, according to the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“I think it’s regarded as the No. 1 security issue in the country,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) told The Hill after a closed-door committee meeting Tuesday.

{mosads}“I think all the stops are pulled out.”

The pope’s trip is expected to present a challenge to state and local police, the Secret Service and the range of other agencies that will be protecting him during his stops in New York, Philadelphia and Washington.

The Department of Homeland Security has labeled the visit a “national special security event” in anticipation of the massive crowds that are expected at each of Francis’s appearances.

There has not been any evidence that any of the pope’s planned events have been threatened, Feinstein said. 

Still, she acknowledged the security concerns posed by the pontiff’s visit.

“I know of no specific threats, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a problem,” she said. “But I think that every step has been taken … to cover all the bases to see that it goes smoothly, and I certainly would hope that it would.”

The pope landed in the U.S. Tuesday afternoon to kick off a six-day, three-city visit to the country.