The Secret Service’s handling of the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Donald Trump was nearly assassinated, has raised numerous questions about the agency’s competence. How did the rooftop overlooking the stage remain unguarded, despite being identified as a security risk? Why was it left untouched after the threat was highlighted? And why did the agency accept the explanation that the sloped roof made it inaccessible as a viable excuse to the public?
The Secret Service has been reluctant to provide details about the incident, sparking concerns about their ability to protect the former president. Trump’s detail had been given extra security measures after it was reported that he was the target of an assassination plot by the Iranians. However, it has since emerged that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was seen at the rally site with a rangefinder over an hour before the attack and had scouted the area days in advance.
Bystanders witnessed Crooks scaling the rooftop, but police did nothing to intervene. Secret Service snipers had their sights on Crooks two minutes before he opened fire, and it has been revealed that the agency knew about the threat on Trump’s life 10 minutes before he took the stage, yet allowed the rally to proceed.
The controversy has sparked further questions about the Secret Service’s ability to protect the former president. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has come forward with allegations from whistleblowers that most of Trump’s security detail were not even Secret Service agents.
The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has expressed full faith in Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who was appointed to the position after being reported to have a close relationship with Jill Biden. Cheatle is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday.
