What happened
Two reports released over the weekend detail the Secret Service's "security failures" before the July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where 20-year-old Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Who said what
The Secret Service "denied multiple requests for additional staff, assets, and resources" ahead of the rally, according to the HSGAC. It also "failed to implement security measures" that could have prevented the attack, the GAO report said.
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The agency's shortcomings that day were the "culmination of years of mismanagement," said Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). He blamed the Biden administration for denying requests for additional security, adding that Americans "should be grateful" that Trump survived and was "re-elected to restore common sense to our country."
What next?
The Secret Service has already implemented 21 of 46 Congressional recommendations for improvement, according to The Associated Press. The budget bill Trump signed into law on July 4 allocated $1.17 billion in funding for the agency.
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