A recent Senate report reveals startling security lapses during a Trump rally assassination attempt in July.
According to Fox News, a preliminary report from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs highlights numerous failures in the Secret Service's planning and execution of security measures at the event where former President Donald Trump was targeted.
The report details that an inexperienced Secret Service agent, tasked with operating drone equipment, resorted to calling a toll-free tech support hotline for assistance. This occurred after a prior request for additional unmanned assets had been denied. The agent in question had reportedly received only one hour of informal training on the device.
The Senate committee's findings underscore a series of preventable planning and operational failures that contributed to the assassination attempt on July 13. These shortcomings included unclear roles and responsibilities, insufficient coordination with local law enforcement, and ineffective communication systems.
Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communications, responded to the report, acknowledging the gravity of their mission and the need for improvement. He stated that many insights from the Senate report align with their internal mission assurance review.
The report also revealed that neither Trump's detail nor the Pittsburgh field office were aware of a suspicious person spotted near the AGR building with a range finder 27 minutes before the shooting. The shooter eventually took position on that building's roof.
Local law enforcement had raised concerns about the AGR building days before the rally, but its rooftop remained unsecured. Additionally, advance agents on Trump's detail had requested extra resources, including additional drone equipment and counter-assault agents, but these requests were denied, sometimes without explanation.
The committee criticized the lack of a clear chain of command, with officials involved in planning to deny individual responsibility and to deflect blame.
The lead advance agent was quoted as saying:
I don't approve anything. I clearly just take the information that they [the USSS site agent and USSS site counterpart] have recommended and put together with the other information that's put together from the other advance entities, and those are all submitted to the field office and then submitted to the Trump detail, the candidate nominations operations, and then they go further to headquarters.
The Senate committee is recommending improved coordination, clearer leadership, and the designation of a single person to approve security plans. They also suggest better communication between federal agents and local counterparts, as well as additional intelligence assets and resources.
In response to these findings, Guglielmi stated that the Secret Service has implemented changes to their protective operations, including elevating the protective posture for their protectees and bolstering protective details as appropriate.
The July 13 attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, was the first of two attempts on Trump's life over the summer. A counter sniper returned fire and killed the suspect, Thomas Crooks. The second attempt occurred on September 15 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where a suspect was arrested after being spotted pointing a rifle from the tree line.
The Senate report exposed significant security failures during the Trump rally assassination attempt. These included an inexperienced agent seeking drone help, denied resource requests, and communication breakdowns. The Secret Service has acknowledged these issues and is implementing changes to enhance protection for former President Trump and other protectees.
