Joe Biden greets supporters during an election rally in Georgia. File

Gulf Today Report

Democrat Joe Biden has inched closer to a win in what is being termed as the most tense US presidential election in recent history, by obtaining the lead in the Pennsylvania polls. Secret Service agents have increased their protective bubble around the Democrat nominee, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

The Secret Service sent an extra squad of agents to Biden's campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware as expectations rose that the Democratic candidate would be able to declare victory over President Donald Trump as early as Friday, the Post reported.

The Secret Service, an agency under the Department of Homeland Security, is in charge or protecting the White House and senior government officials, visiting high officials, and others.

It had already deployed some agents to protect Biden around early July after he triumphed in the Democratic Party's presidential primaries.

As a former vice president, Biden could have requested Secret Service protection before then, but reportedly did not.

If Biden becomes president-elect, Secret Service protection is expected to ramp up to a higher level.