It was clear to anyone watching the news regarding the assassination attempts against Trump that the Secret Service failed Trump.
Now, reports are breaking that the agency has not been forthcoming with information regarding the protocols that were not followed that day.
Talking Points…
- Failures by the Secret Service
- Whistleblower comes forward
- Analysis
I have considerable contacts in the FBI, past and present, who I leaned on when evaluating the Secret Service protection of Donald Trump in both assassination attempts. Some of these present and former agents have contacts in the Secret Service. I mention this solely so you understand this is not just me spewing my observations but a collective opinion of “experts” in this field.
In the July assassination attempt, the failures in standard protocols were many and alarming. For starters, why did they allow the shooter to pass through security with a range finder? Why did he not have eyes on the entire time? Why was a rooftop position with a direct line of sight to the stage not staffed, and if it was not staffed, why was it not blocked off or patrolled to prevent someone from taking that position?
Why was there no overhead drone or helicopter coverage? Why was Trump permitted to go on stage when a threat was recognized? Why were agents assigned to Trump who were significantly shorter than Trump, not allowing them to properly carry out the cover and transport move after the shooting? Why was Trump permitted to stand up with his head and torso fully exposed after the shots were fired?
Why was there no full security sweep of the course in the September attempt before Trump arrived? Why, again, was there no overhead drone or helicopter coverage? How did the shooter know that Trump would be playing that day? How did the shooter manage to camp out on the fence line of the property for 12 hours before Trump arrived?
Those are all questions my contacts have mentioned as protocols that would normally be in place for such a high-profile protectee. Needless to say, members of Congress are looking for the same answers, but the Secret Service has apparently been stonewalling them. Someone is clearly being protected here. To that point, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) broke the news that a whistleblower had come forward to expose the purposeful lack of cooperation. Hawley wrote:
“The whistleblower alleges that the Secret Service denied access to [Department of Homeland Security] auditors because the former president is not receiving the full level of protective assets for all of his events, and Secret Service leadership wants to obscure or simply conceal this fact.”
“…As you continue to audit the agency’s programs and activities, you should be aware of these allegations, which indicate that the Secret Service is not in fact cooperating with your auditors and is instead painting a false picture.”
What was utterly shocking is that, as part of this investigation, it was revealed that while a counter-sniper team was deployed during the Butler, PA, event in July, the Secret Service agents on the ground were not made aware that the higher-ups in the agency had received a “credible intelligence” threat.
The agents I have talked to were astonished at all these protocol breakdowns. They were even more stunned that people have not been terminated over this debacle that led to the death of an innocent civilian and the wounding of Donald Trump. Had Trump not turned his head at that exact moment, he would not be alive today. Furthermore, had there been a second shooter, with all the breakdowns in protocols after the shots were fired, the exposure of Trump’s head and upper torso would have clearly given a clear shot, so Trump is indeed fortunate to be alive today.
I have been asked many times if I think the government was behind the attempted assassinations. I have been adamant in responding that in no way, shape, or form do I believe the government ordered a hit against Trump. Having said that, I do firmly believe that these breakdowns in protocols were not by accident. I am very concerned about the fact the shooter passed through the grounds, inexperienced agents, and lack of overhead coverage.
This leads me to believe that at least one of the shot callers, after learning of the threats, decided to let this play out. Again, my opinion… they may not have ordered the assassination, but someone decided not to use usual protocols to protect Trump, especially when you realize the call was made to allow Trump to go on stage with a credible threat having been recognized on the grounds. This may get tagged as a conspiracy theory, but I would ask anyone saying that to prove me wrong that all of these mistakes were just incompetence and not a purposeful breakdown in protocols to protect Trump.
