Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
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.
One report from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs "reveals a disturbing pattern of communication failures and negligence" within the agency; separate analysis from the Government Accountability Office found that senior-level Secret Service agents knew about an ongoing threat to Trump at the time, but that the agency's "siloed practice for sharing classified threat information" kept the teams in charge of security for the Butler rally in the dark. Neither report discusses the gunman's motives.
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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Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.
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