President Trump on Wednesday named Sean Curran, the agent who sprung into action last year to protect him from an assassin’s bullet, as the next director of the Secret Service.

In a statement on Truth Social, Mr. Trump hailed his choice as “a brilliant leader who is capable of directing and leading operational security plans for some of the most complex special security events.”

Mr. Curran previously served as the head of Mr. Trump’s protective detail over the last four years. Most notably, he leaped to cover Mr. Trump when an assassin fired at the president from a rooftop perch during a campaign rally last July in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“He proved his fearless courage when he risked his own life to help save mine from an assassin’s bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania. I have complete and total confidence in Sean to make the United States Secret Service stronger than ever before,” Mr. Trump wrote.

In his role leading the president’s protective detail, Mr. Curran oversaw 85 personnel.

Mr. Curran joined the agency in September 2001 and was promoted to deputy special agent in charge of the Presidential Protective Detail last month. That unit is responsible for protecting the current president and their families.

The pick rebukes the recommendations of two bipartisan commissions — one in 2015 and another last year — that recommended the president choose someone outside the agency to serve as director.

Unlike other Cabinet positions or FBI director, the appointment to head the Secret Service does not require a Senate confirmation vote.

Mr. Curran will replace Ron Rowe, who has served as acting director since last July. He replaced Director Kimberly Cheatle, who stepped down following an intense backlash over the agency’s failure to prevent the would-be assassin from targeting Mr. Trump and killing a local firefighter at the rally.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.