The United States Secret Service has come under intense scrutiny following the release of a preliminary report on Wednesday, which highlighted a series of operational and security lapses during an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
The incident, which occurred on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulted in the shooting of the Republican nominee, serious injuries to two of his supporters, and the death of another.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the report, released by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, pointed to a series of blunders, including an inexperienced agent struggling with drone detection equipment and having to call a toll-free tech support hotline for assistance. This was after a request for additional unmanned assets had been denied. The agent had received only an hour of informal training on the device before being assigned to operate it. The technical difficulties meant that the equipment was not operational until after the would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks, had flown his drone.
The report stated, "Multiple foreseeable and preventable planning and operational failures by USSS contributed to [Thomas] Crooks' ability to carry out the assassination attempt of former President Trump on July 13. These included unclear roles and responsibilities, insufficient coordination with state and local law enforcement, the lack of effective communications, and inoperable C-UAS systems, among many others."
It further detailed that "The C-UAS system was inoperable until 4:33 pm on July 13. It was during that time that Crooks flew his drone in the vicinity of the Butler Farm Show at approximately 3:51 pm for 11 minutes while streaming footage to his controller." The report added that if the system had been active and detected Crooks drone, "the C-UAS Advance Agent stated he would have sent USSS personnel to conduct a voluntary interview with Mr. Crooks to determine the purpose of his flight."
In response to the findings, US Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News that the agency is committed to ensuring that the events of July 13 "never happens again." He said, "We have reviewed the interim report on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The weight of our mission is not lost on us and in this hyperdynamic threat environment, the US Secret Service cannot fail. Many of the insights gained from the Senate report align with the findings from our mission assurance review and are essential to ensuring that what happened on July 13 never happens again."
The report also revealed a lack of communication between the security room, Secret Service counter-sniper team, and agents from Trump's security detail and the Pittsburgh field office. They were not informed that a suspicious person had been detected near the building with a range finder 27 minutes before the shooting. The report disclosed, "Shortly before shots were fired, a USSS counter sniper saw local law enforcement running toward the AGR building with their guns drawn, but he did not alert former President Trump's protective detail to remove him from the stage."
In the days leading up to the rally, local law enforcement had expressed concerns about the AGR building, located across the field from where Trump would be speaking. Despite these concerns, the rooftop of the building remained unsecured. The report also noted that requests for additional resources, such as drone apparatus and counter-assault agents to liaise with the local SWAT team, were denied "at times without explanation."
The report also criticized the lack of a clear chain of command, with officials involved in the planning and security for the rally deflecting blame and denying individual responsibility for the failures.
In light of these findings, the committee has recommended improved coordination and clearer leadership, including the appointment of a single individual to authorize security plans, better communication between federal agents and local law enforcement, and the allocation of additional intelligence assets and resources. These measures are seen as crucial in preventing a repeat of the failures that marred the events of July 13.
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