Secret Service agents lacked the funds to set up an adequate facility, so Hollywood producer Tyler Perry used a mock White House in Atlanta for a 2023 training scenario.
The admission was made on a New York Times podcast. ”The DailyIn “, investigative reporter Eric Lipton examines the poor conditions of the bureau's training facilities and space in light of the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. discussed.
“The Secret Service is so lacking in proper training facilities that they have actually sent personnel to the Atlanta area several times to train in a mock White House built as a stage in Georgia by Hollywood producer Tyler Perry. ,” Lipton said on the Oct. 14 episode of the podcast. “It's hard to believe, but it remains an option for the Secret Service to train its personnel.”
Lipton also noted that the agency used the front half of a retired 1960s-style plane for Air Force One protection training.
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Members of the Secret Service Uniformed Division walk on the South Portico and South Lawn of the White House on November 18, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Mandel Gan/AFP)
Anthony Guglielmi, director of public affairs for the U.S. Secret Service, told Fox News Digital in 2014 that in response to White House security concerns, “an independent Protective Mission Board was established by the U.S. Secret Service to facilitate a scenario-based “We recommended that a replica of the White House be built.” Training under real-world conditions. ”
“Because the actual White House serves as a secure office complex, national museum, and family residence, there are limits to how and when staff can be trained on-site,” Guglielmi said. “In 2023, former director Kimberly Cheatle worked with Tyler Perry and his staff to study a replica of the White House used for filming in Atlanta. “We conducted a training exercise to evaluate how a similar model could be used by future special agents and personnel in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia who respond to potential emergencies and critical incidents.” , located in Maryland to train partner institutions. ”
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Former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Perry's Replica White House sits on 330 acres of the former Fort McPherson Army Base, as well as numerous other sets and stage designs.
“Over the past year, we have worked closely with Congress and the Department of Homeland Security to advance the construction of the White House Defense Training Facility,” Guglielmi said. “We appreciate Congress’ initial investment, which was critical to getting this important project off the ground.”
A “Welcome to Tyler Perry Studios” sign outside Tyler Perry Studios on July 27, 2019 in Atlanta. (Raymond Boyd)
Last year, Congress appropriated more than $3 billion to the Secret Service, according to a report last month. Congressional Research Service.
Meanwhile, Secret Service staffing has declined slightly from a high of 7,811 in 2021 to 7,689 in 2023, while the number of protectees the agency needs to serve, according to the report. The number has almost doubled since 2015.
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The number of Secret Service personnel has decreased in recent years as the number of people they protect increases. (Niall Carson/PA Image)
Around the time Trump was shot and killed, the Secret Service was also providing security for the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. Democratic National Convention in Chicago. and the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
“After attackers climbed the fence and entered the White House in 2014, the conversation about the need for proper training facilities began,” Lipton said. “More than a decade later, no funding has yet been appropriated to build this training facility on site in Maryland.”
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Uniformed Secret Service agents stand guard in front of the White House on July 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C., after President Biden announced his withdrawal from the re-election race. (Justin Sullivan)
Specifically, in the July 13 assassination attempt, 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks climbed onto a rooftop about 130 yards from where President Trump was standing on the podium and fired eight shots. , highlighting the need for better training and preparedness for the Secret Service. As he made his rounds, he grazed the former president's ear just before he turned around.
The scammers also shot and killed former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore and seriously injured two other rally attendees, David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
“There are very few jobs out there that have to be perfect, and when it comes to protecting the president, any imperfection could potentially mean the president's life,” Lipton said on the podcast. “It attracts a certain kind of person because there is no room for error on any given day.”
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Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Lowe Jr. speaks to the media at a press conference regarding updates on the investigation into the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, Monday, September 16, 2024. gave a speech. (Fox News Digital Mega)
Former Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle resigned following the first assassination attempt on Trump. Acting Superintendent Ronald Lowe was appointed to the position on July 23, 10 days after the shooting in Butler.
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On September 20, the House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at strengthening the needs of the Secret Service's security services.
“I thank Congress for addressing some of the U.S. Secret Service's most pressing needs in this heightened threat environment,” Lowe said in a statement at the time. “With this short-term funding, the U.S. Secret Service will be better equipped to strengthen its security efforts in the coming months. We look forward to providing additional personnel, technology and equipment for the job. ”
