Five Secret Service Agents Placed on Leave Following Trump Assassination Attempt
Following the July 13th assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, five members of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) have been placed on administrative leave. The incident, which left one person dead and two injured, has sparked intense scrutiny of the agency’s security protocols and led to the resignation of former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
Key Takeaways:
- Five Secret Service agents, including the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office, have been put on leave. They are still employed by the agency but are working remotely and have been barred from field operations and investigations.
- The Secret Service is conducting an internal review of the incident, looking into the "processes, procedures and factors that led to this operational failure," according to Anthony Guglielmi, the USSS chief of communications.
- The FBI is also conducting a separate criminal investigation into the incident. This investigation is focusing on how the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to access the roof of a building and fire shots at Trump from a distance of approximately 150 yards.
- A Secret Service whistleblower has alleged that officials at Secret Service headquarters discouraged agents from requesting extra security assets for the event. This claim, made public by Sen. Josh Hawley, highlights potential systemic failures within the agency’s planning and operational procedures.
A Failure of Security
The incident in Butler has raised serious questions about the Secret Service’s competence and ability to protect high-profile individuals. Despite text messages from local law enforcement flagging Crooks as suspicious 90 minutes before the shooting, he was still able to open fire. This raises concerns about the agency’s ability to effectively assess and respond to potential threats.
"There must be accountability at the Secret Service for its historic failures that led to the attempted assassination of President Trump," stated House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. "Holding negligent employees accountable is the first step. I look forward to the Task Force’s findings of its investigation. We must ensure the Secret Service does not fail again".
Investigations and Calls for Accountability
The FBI’s criminal investigation and the Secret Service’s internal review are still ongoing. Meanwhile, calls for accountability are mounting, with various lawmakers demanding that the agency implement significant personnel changes and hold those responsible for the security failures accountable.
"We still need real answers about the attempt on President Trump’s life and accountability for everyone involved," said Sen. Josh Hawley. "The Secret Service should have taken this step weeks ago".
Hawley has requested an explanation from Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe about the decision to discourage agents from requesting extra security assets for the event. "You must explain this apparent contradiction immediately," Hawley wrote in a letter to Rowe.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has acknowledged the security failures and stated that the investigations will provide “lessons learned” to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"This was a security failure and there is both an internal and external independent investigation," Garland said. "They will provide lessons learned to prevent such a failure from happening again".
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, echoes the sentiment for accountability. "I always say, ‘if heads don’t roll, nothing changes,’" Grassley told Fox News. "I’m glad the Secret Service has taken a step towards accountability".
A Pattern of Failures?
Former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro, a Fox News contributor, suggests that the security failures in Butler may be indicative of a deeper problem within the Secret Service.
"Those discrepancies argue more things are not so much mistakes, but instead, institutional rot," Mauro said. "And what bothers me is that the executives who have been overseeing and not solving the problems that the Secret Service clearly has will likely get off scot-free. And certainly [Homeland Security Secretary] Mayorkas and Cheatle should not be able to ride off into the sunset with their reputations intact".
The ongoing investigations into the Butler incident will hopefully uncover the full extent of the security failures and provide insight into the underlying causes of these issues. This incident has highlighted the critical need for systemic changes within the Secret Service to ensure the safety of high-profile individuals. The agency must address potential biases and ensure that the protection of all individuals is prioritized, regardless of their political affiliation or status. The failures in Butler must be viewed as a stark reminder of the crucial role the Secret Service plays in safeguarding the nation and a call for a comprehensive overhaul of the agency’s practices and procedures to prevent similar tragedies from occuring in the future.
