Butler, Pennsylvania – A bipartisan Senate committee revealed in a new report that Secret Service agents failed to take charge of decision-making for security at a rally where former President Donald Trump was shot in July. The report highlighted key lapses in preparation and communication at the event, pointing to failures that were “foreseeable” and “preventable.”
The report, based on interviews with top Secret Service officials and local law enforcement, identified several problems that led to the security lapses at the rally. For instance, visual barriers were not set up around the event, and there was a lack of planning on how to secure the building from where the shooter took aim at Trump. The chaotic communication surrounding the shooter’s movement prior to the attempt on Trump’s life was also noted in the report.
According to the report, key resource requests were denied or not made, with Secret Service advance agents failing to request a surveillance team for the rally attended by around 15,000 people. This lack of an effective chain of command was highlighted during interviews conducted by the subcommittee leading the investigation.
The breakdown in communication and failure to establish a clear chain of command made identifying the shooter and intervening difficult. The report noted that the sniper team that ultimately shot and killed the shooter did not receive local radio alerts about the potential threat until moments before the shooting occurred.
The report raised questions about the lack of intelligence sharing prior to the event, citing a credible Iranian assassination plot targeting Trump that was not relayed to senior officials on the ground. This led to a failure in deploying necessary security assets that could have potentially prevented the shooting.
In response to the report, Sen. Rand Paul called for significant changes in Secret Service leadership, emphasizing the need to address human errors rather than throwing more money at the agency. Sen. Blumenthal echoed these sentiments, calling for fundamental reforms in the way the Secret Service conducts protective activities to ensure the safety of high-profile individuals in the future.
The findings of the report underscore the need for improved communication, clearer decision-making processes, and enhanced security protocols to prevent similar security breaches in the future.