The United States Secret Service is under intense scrutiny, and rightfully so. Their negligence led to the attempted assassination attempt of Donald Trump.
And the Secret Service is about to go down in flames after what these Senators just discovered.
Senators from both political parties expressed outrage on Thursday over the security failures that led to an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The incident, which occurred on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, left Trump injured and resulted in the death of a rally attendee, Corey Comperatore. As more information surfaces, lawmakers are demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ahead of an upcoming report on the attack.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a closed-door briefing with acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe to discuss the security breach. The shooting at the rally also wounded two others besides Trump, leading to a widespread investigation into the handling of the event.
“I think the American people will be shocked, astonished and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures of the Secret Service in this assassination attempt of a former president,” remarked Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who chairs the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Blumenthal, deeply critical of the DHS’s lack of transparency, added that the department should “be more forthcoming” in disclosing information.
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin echoed the frustrations voiced by the committee members. After the briefing, he noted, “There is a lot that we don’t know yet, and I think there is some frustration that was voiced, I think with Acting Director Rowe. He’s making the commitment to provide more information.”
Despite receiving substantial details during the briefing, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) indicated that there is still significant work to be done. An interim report is expected to be released in the coming weeks, identifying the specific security errors made.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), committee ranking member, expressed his own disbelief, stating, “To me, it’s still inexcusable that a guy for 90 minutes before a rally has a rangefinder and you don’t stop the proceeding.”
As investigations continue, lawmakers emphasized the bipartisan nature of their inquiry. They are united in seeking accountability from the Secret Service for its failure to prevent the tragedy. Both Blumenthal and Johnson stressed the need for a transparent review, with Johnson anticipating that the initial findings would be available before Congress goes on break at the end of the month.
Blumenthal, when asked whether further resignations were necessary, responded emphatically: “Unquestionably and indisputably, there needs to be more accountability. People need to be held responsible.” He added that without accountability, future security lapses are inevitable, reinforcing the need for an individual to be clearly responsible for such situations.
On the day of the attack, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as a potential threat at the rally site over an hour before he carried out the attack. Despite this, he managed to climb onto a building near the event and open fire on Trump, striking him in the ear.
Crooks’ bullets also claimed the life of Corey Comperatore and left two others critically injured before a Secret Service counter-sniper neutralized the assailant.
Subsequent revelations from whistleblowers, congressional hearings, and committee investigations have exposed several gaps in communication and response. According to reports, agents on the ground received word that Crooks posed a threat only 10 minutes before Trump began speaking. However, the lack of timely action allowed Crooks to fire from a rooftop just 130 yards from the stage.
Sen. Paul criticized the miscommunication that occurred during the attack, recounting the failure to act on crucial intelligence. He said, “At 6:08 [p.m.], man on a roof, should’ve stopped him. They say the walkie-talkies didn’t communicate with each other. Someone should’ve been yelling from the rooftops.”
The situation was exacerbated by a complete breakdown in communication, according to Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), who described the mishandling of key security information.
“Different entities were seeing the shooter, were seeing them with the rangefinder, were seeing someone on the roof that people were calling in to local law enforcement. That wasn’t relayed over the common radio [network],” Waltz told Fox News.
Authorities later discovered explosives in Crooks’ car at the rally site, as well as a remote transmitter on his body. Despite extensive investigations, neither the Secret Service nor the FBI has determined Crooks’ motive. Although Crooks conducted over 60 online searches related to both President Biden and former President Trump, FBI agents have found no evidence that he conspired with anyone else.
FBI Pittsburgh Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek confirmed that Crooks’ attack planning was thorough, but so far, no credible evidence has emerged indicating a larger plot. Speculation about a second shooter has also been dismissed by the FBI.
The attack has spurred investigations by multiple entities, including the Senate Homeland Committee, the FBI, DHS, a House task force, and the DHS Office of the Inspector General. As these probes continue, lawmakers remain focused on ensuring that such security failures are never repeated, and the public anxiously awaits the upcoming reports.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
