The U.S. Secret Service on Friday revealed multiple security failures during an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in July, where shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump narrowly escaped death, suffering an injury to his right ear, while one attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others were injured.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. cited “complacency” and “deficiencies in the advance planning” as critical factors that led to a breach of security. Rowe explained that a countersniper response agent was informed of Crooks’ presence on a rooftop via phone call but failed to relay the information through the agency’s radio network. Crooks was later shot dead by Secret Service agents.
The Secret Service’s review also found issues with communication between federal agents and local law enforcement, an over-reliance on mobile devices, and poorly addressed line-of-sight challenges.
The incident led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, and several agents have been placed on leave. Rowe called for additional funding, personnel, and equipment to enhance the agency’s readiness and prevent future security lapses.
In response to the attack, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill on Friday to extend Secret Service protection for presidential candidates to the same level as sitting presidents and vice presidents. The bill awaits Senate approval and a signature from President Joe Biden. Rowe confirmed that Trump is now receiving the same level of protection as President Biden.
The need for heightened security was emphasized by a second assassination attempt on Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course last weekend. The gunman was arrested before firing a shot.
Trump has since accused President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of inciting the attacks, although he has provided no evidence to support these claims. Both Biden and Harris have condemned the violence and called for increased resources for the Secret Service.
