Fact Check

Does This Video Show Secret Service Agents Training for 'Advanced Reverse Escapes'?

A clip purportedly showing Secret Service agents training for "advanced reverse escapes" was actually taken from a video game.

Published March 11, 2016

Claim:
A video shows Secret Service agents practicing for advanced reverse escapes at a racetrack.

In March 2016, a video appeared online that purportedly showed Secret Service agents training to serve on presidential details by driving a limousine in reverse at high speeds on a racetrack in order to practice "advanced reverse escapes":

The video does not capture anyone engaging in Secret Service training; it was actually comes from the racing-themed video game Forza Motorsport 6.

The original video was uploaded on 8 March 2016 to a YouTube channel that also featured several other videos from the Forza video game series. This particular video originally included an introduction  that clearly identified it as video game footage:

Secret Service agents (and others) are given tactical driving courses as part of their training, much of which does take place on closed tracks or obstacle courses and includes route surveying, motorcade driving, and evasion techniques.  However, it's unlikely that such training would be undertaken in front of a sizable public audience, and without any protective barriers to protect the crowd of onlookers.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.