Security Lapses in Threat to President Trump Revealed

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General released a report detailing significant failures by the Secret Service that nearly led to a successful assassination attempt on President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania back in July 2024.

This 64-page document outlines various security oversights that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to get close to Trump while he was addressing supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

According to the report, “The Secret Service’s overall lack of policies and processes, along with limited information sharing and poor coordination with local law enforcement, resulted in missed opportunities to prevent potential assassination attempts.”

A key finding highlighted the ineffective communication between the Secret Service and local police, which led to Trump’s security team not being warned about Crooks ascending the roof of a building nearby, armed with a long gun and a range finder.

Instead of effective collaboration, the security teams operated from separate locations, approximately 257 yards apart, thereby limiting their radio communication.

This lack of coordination allowed the Secret Service to overlook 102 radio messages that detailed an escalating search for a suspicious individual — including alerts about someone on a rooftop with a long gun.

As a result, Trump was shot in the ear during the chaos. Tragically, one attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed, while two others sustained serious injuries but survived.

Immediately after the shooting, Secret Service agents quickly moved Trump to safety. However, the report noted a serious lack of anticipation and response regarding Crooks’ earlier drone flight that went undetected less than three hours before the rally, due to inadequate communication and poorly trained personnel.

Interestingly, the drone had traveled 471 yards from the stage at an altitude of 102 feet without raising alarms, and the anti-drone system intended to be operational malfunctioned during the event.

The report pointed out the failure to share intelligence about threats against Trump with the relevant Pittsburgh office, leaving gaps in the security perimeter.

Investigators also noted that crucial areas outside the security perimeter were not secured, and previously identified vulnerabilities were not addressed properly. This included Crooks having a clear line of sight to Trump while standing just 155 yards away.

As the report mentions, those involved initially suggested using trucks to block this view, but campaign staff declined the idea, claiming it would interfere with media coverage.

The report recommends several corrective measures for enhancing security processes, including improved threat communication protocols, comprehensive training on anti-drone technology, and formal documentation procedures for identifying potential line-of-sight issues.

Fox News Digital reached out to both the Secret Service and the White House for comments on the findings.