The shocking revelations of a Senate report on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump by Thomas Matthew Crooks in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, have sent ripples through the nation.
The report, released on Wednesday, exposes a series of alarming security lapses by the U.S. Secret Service. The agency was aware that Crooks had been on the building for 27 minutes before the assassination attempt, which tragically claimed one life and left others injured.
According to The Post Millennial, the report states, "At approximately 5:45 pm, USSS personnel were notified that local law enforcement observed a suspicious person with a rangefinder near the AGR building. By 5:52 pm, at least eight USSS personnel had been informed. Approximately two minutes before shots were fired..."
The report outlines 12 critical instances of complete failure by the Secret Service, which should have acted to protect the president and neutralize the shooter. These oversights nearly cost the nation a former and potential future president and resulted in the avoidable death of Corey Comperatore.
The report's findings include: "USSS personnel were notified of a suspicious person with a rangefinder around the AGR building approximately 27 minutes before the shooting," and "USSS was notified about an individual on the AGR roof approximately two minutes before Crooks fired from the AGR roof."
The report also reveals that a USSS counter sniper saw local law enforcement running towards the AGR building with their guns drawn shortly before the shots were fired. However, he did not alert former President Trumps protective detail to remove him from the stage. The counter sniper admitted that although seeing officers with their guns drawn "elevated" the threat level, the thought to notify someone to get Trump off the stage "did not cross [his] mind."
The report further highlights that USSS counter snipers, including the one who shot and killed Crooks, were sent to the rally in response to credible intelligence of a threat. However, almost all of the USSS personnel interviewed by the committee claimed they were unaware of any credible intelligence of a threat.
The report also criticizes the USSS Advance Agents for the July 13 rally, who denied individual responsibility for planning or security failures, deflected blame, and could not identify who had final decision authority for the rally.
The report concludes, "The Committee finds that USSS failures in planning, communications, security, and allocation of resources for the July 13, 2024 Butler rally were foreseeable, preventable, and directly related to the events resulting in the assassination attempt that day. The Committee also finds that siloed communications and coordination problems between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials remain unaddressed and were a contributing factor to the failures at the July 13 Butler rally."
The Committee also pointed out the failures in the aftermath of the assassination attempt, stating that "key requests to FBI, DHS, ATF and USSS remain outstanding. The majority of documents provided by the USSS and DHS are heavily redacted. This has unnecessarily hindered the Committees ability to carry out its constitutional authority to investigate and acquire information necessary to identify needed reforms."
The Committee's findings underscore the substantial failures of the Secret Service, including the inability to "clearly define responsibilities for planning and security at the July 13 rally," "to ensure the AGR building was effectively covered," "to effectively coordinate with state and local law enforcement," "to provide resources for the July 13 rally that could have enhanced security," "to communicate information about the suspicious person to key personnel," and failure "to take action to ensure the safety of former President Trump."
The report's revelations underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the Secret Service's protocols and procedures. The nation's security and the safety of its leaders cannot be compromised due to such glaring oversights and failures. The tragic events of July 13 serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance, coordination, and effective communication in ensuring the safety of those entrusted to the care of the Secret Service.
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