Trump Assassination Attempt Hearing Devolves into Screaming Match
By [Author’s Name]
You may have seen the headlines, but I encourage you to watch the full exchange between myself and acting Secret Service Director Rowe. The heated back and forth had nothing to do with partisanship and everything to do with the agency’s competency, or rather the lack thereof.
The sparks flew because the current head of the US Secret Service (USSS) seemingly learned no lessons from the historic failures in Butler, Pennsylvania. We’re just under five months removed from the tragic events of July 13, 2024, that left Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter and father of two, dead, the leading Republican presidential candidate wounded, and the nation in shock.
History could have, and should have, played out much differently at President Trump’s Butler rally. Those shots would never have been fired had the leadership within the USSS simply lived up to its zero-fail mission.
The bipartisan House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump issued its final report, detailing the failures of the USSS at the Butler rally and recommending measures the agency should implement going forward. This report underscores why the exchange between acting Director Rowe and I was so heated.
The head of the Secret Service deflected and refused to answer direct questions about his actions while at the helm of what should be the world’s premier protection agency. If the USSS can’t be fully transparent months after the Butler rally, can we trust that high-profile protectees, regardless of their politics, are safe?
Our Task Force has heard from former USSC agents, and whistleblowers themselves that the agency is in need of systemic culture change. This is reflected in the USSS’s failure to secure the perimeter and the high ground at the venue with the right equipment in the proper manner.
Here are three failures that must be addressed based on our report:
* Failures in Planning: The location from which would-be assassin Thomas Crooks fired from, the AGR complex, was left unsecured prior to and during the July 13 rally, despite concerns from local law enforcement on the ground.
* Failures in Execution: Faltering radio communications led to confusion, and critical information was not sent wide to USSS personnel, which meant the agents stationed closest to President Trump were not made immediately aware of the threat posed by Crooks until he opened fire.
* Failures in Leadership: The lack of uniform training standards meant that agents involved in operational planning and execution ahead of the Butler rally were simply not experienced for the task at hand.
Above all, a major cultural problem exists within the USSS. This truth is undeniable given the tragic fact that an untrained 20-year-old with two weeks’ notice was able to outsmart and outmaneuver the very agency whose number one job is to protect our most important elected officials.
While now-former USSS Director Cheatle resigned after her testimony before the House Oversight Committee in July, the overtly combative testimony I received from acting Director Rowe is alarming. Combined with our Task Force’s findings, it’s clear the Secret Service needs comprehensive changes, starting at the top.