President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to load up the Secret Service with more resources ... indicating he thinks the protection agency is currently spread too thin to be fully effective.
The president spoke with reporters outside the White House Monday, where he gave his blunt assessment of the Secret Service after former president and current Republican nominee Donald Trump faced his 2nd assassination attempt this year.
When asked about the status of a full report into the incident, 46 said he is relieved to know Trump is okay ... and thinks the Secret Service is not up to standard in its current operations.
He noted ... "One thing I want to make clear, the Secret Service needs more help. I think Congress should respond to their needs. ... I think they need some more personnel."
Trump was the target of an assassination attempt in West Palm Beach, Florida Sunday, when the former prez was out golfing at his club.
According to authorities, Secret Service agents noticed an AK-style rifle's muzzle peeking out from some shrubbery about 400 yards away from where DT was playing golf.
One agent fired into the area, prompting the alleged gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, to drop the weapon and flee in a nearby SUV.
In addition to the rifle, the alleged gunman left behind 2 backpacks, a scope, and a GoPro camera ... this according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
Routh was later stopped and arrested in a nearby county.
Trump was not harmed in the incident and later issued a defiant statement, declaring he'd "never surrender" amid the attempts on his life.
Sunday's assassination attempt comes 2 months after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania ... which has been described as the agency's "worst failure" in decades.