In the wake of the 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Secret Service has been forced to reevaluate and bolster its security measures.
The incident has highlighted the agency's monumental task of protecting the president in an era rife with unprecedented threats, as per insights from former Secret Service agents.
The threats against Trump are manifold, encompassing violent extremists supported by proxy groups and domestic individuals spurred to violence by escalating political rhetoric. Bill Gage, a former Secret Service special agent during the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, shared his perspective with Fox News Digital. "No U.S. President has been under so much threat of violence," Gage stated. "The threat on President Trump is the greatest that any President has ever faced."
The assassination attempt in Butler was carried out by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired at Trump from a rooftop during a rally. One of the eight bullets grazed Trump's ear, and in the ensuing chaos, two people were injured, and Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, father, and husband, was killed. Subsequent to this incident, another man was arrested and charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Both incidents are currently under investigation.
According to Gage, the left's political rhetoric, which portrays Trump as a threat to democracy, is perilous. It could potentially incite political radicals to believe that assassinating the president is a means to save the country, leading to further assassination attempts akin to the one in Pennsylvania. Other factors contributing to the heightened threat levels include policies related to immigration or funding cuts from the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that are unpopular with the left, as well as hostile proxy groups backed by actors like Iran who oppose Trump.
Gage emphasized the impact of comments from leaders like Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who claimed "democracy is under assault," following the Trump administrations decision to dispatch thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to respond to the immigration riots in California. "Right now there is someone out there reading Newsom's quotes, someone who wishes President Trump harm," Gage warned. "It is up to the USSS to stop them. Hopefully those wishing the President harm will not slip through the cracks."
The threat of politically motivated violence is not limited to Trump. Federal immigration officials and Border Patrol agents have also been targeted. In June, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., accused ICE of acting "like a terrorist force" comments she has since defended. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., who oversees the House Homeland Security committees subcommittee on border security and enforcement, attributed the surge in violence against federal immigration officials to "radical anti-law enforcement rhetoric."
As threats evolve, security forces like the Secret Service face the challenge of adapting. Despite the agency's efforts to enhance its security measures, it still grapples with "considerable vulnerabilities given the rising complexity and sophistication of the threats it faces," according to Tim Miller, a former Secret Service agent during the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. "The FBI has consistently warned about homegrown violent extremists, which remains a major concern," Miller added.
The Secret Service is also lagging in adopting critical technology, particularly in the areas of secure communications, drone surveillance, and real-time intelligence tools. These are not just conveniences, but essential components of modern protective operations, as per Miller.
A bipartisan House task force investigating the attack found that the attempted assassination was "preventable," and identified various mistakes, including the Secret Service's failure to secure a "high-risk area" next to the rally, the American Glass Research (AGR) grounds and building complex. This oversight allowed Crooks to evade law enforcement, climb onto the roof of the AGR complex, and open fire.
In response to these findings, the agency has initiated a series of reforms. Ronald Rowe, former acting director of the Secret Service, revealed that immediate changes included expanding the use of drones for surveillance purposes, overhauling radio communications networks, and increasing staffing. The agency also plans to build a precise replica of the White House for training purposes.
Congressional oversight bodies issued nearly 50 recommendations to the Secret Service following the assassination attempt. The agency reported that it has executed 21 of those recommendations and is in the process of implementing 16 others.
"The reforms made over this last year are just the beginning, and the agency will continue to assess its operations, review recommendations and make additional changes as needed," the Secret Service announced in a recent news release.
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