Americans are increasingly skeptical of the United States Secret Service’s ability to protect political candidates, according to a recent survey, following the assassination attempt last month in which President Trump was grazed by a bullet on his ear.
In opinion polls, Released on Friday In a poll conducted by The Associated Press/NORC Research Center, only 31% of respondents said they were “extremely” or “very” confident that the USSS could keep presidential candidates safe.
About 40% said they had “some” confidence in the Secret Service’s ability to provide security ahead of the election, while 28% said they had “not much” or “no confidence at all,” according to the survey.
The USSS has come under intense scrutiny after a gunman climbed onto a roof near a rally for President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month and took a direct phone call with the president before opening fire.
One bullet grazed Trump’s ear. The attack, which took place outside Pittsburgh, left one attendee dead and two others in critical condition. The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, also died.
The poll also found that 72% of respondents believed the Secret Service was responsible for the assassination attempt.
Law enforcement has come under intense criticism from lawmakers trying to understand what may have led to miscommunication between the Secret Service, which is responsible for security at the event, and local law enforcement.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after testifying before Congress about security lapses. Acting Director Ronald Rowe, who testified before lawmakers last month, said he was “ashamed” by the shooting and “cannot defend” why the roof wasn’t secured before the campaign.
Nearly 50% of people in a recent poll said they blamed local Pennsylvania police for the assassination attempt, and many also blamed the political divisions in the country.
Federal investigators have not revealed a motive, but 78% of respondents said political divisions were the cause of the attack.
The Secret Service promised changes within the organization after the shooting, but noted that communication issues are “not easily solved.”
The survey was conducted among 1,143 people from July 25 to 29 and has a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.
