independent panel Officials investigating Donald Trump's assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania say the Secret Service needs “fundamental reform” and that without major changes to how candidates are protected, “another Butler… It can and will happen again.”
The investigation blamed the Secret Service for poor communications that day and for failing to secure the building where the gunman opened fire. It also found more systemic problems at the agency, including a lack of understanding of the unique risks President Trump faces and a culture of “doing more with less.”
The 52-page report issued Thursday ordered the Secret Service to address specific issues leading up to the July 13 Butler rally, as well as deeper problems within the agency's culture. . It recommended bringing in new external leadership and refocusing on the conservation mission.
“The Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform in order to carry out its mission,” the authors wrote in their report to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service's parent agency. stated in the letter. “Without that reform, the independent review committee believes that another deacon can and will happen again.”
During President Trump's speech, suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed onto the roof of a nearby building and opened fire, killing one rally-goer and wounding two others. The former president was rushed off stage by Secret Service agents after sustaining an ear injury. Along with the gunfight, another incident While President Trump was playing golf in Florida, the gunman never looked at him or fired a shot; crisis of trust in Agency.
The report by a committee of four former federal and state law enforcement officials is as follows: Investigation by members of parliament, Government agency's own investigator and Department of Homeland Security oversight agencies.
Let's take a look at the report's key findings and recommendations.
Poor communication environment and no plans for major buildings
The panel discussion was due to failures to secure a building near the rally that had a clear line of sight to where President Trump was speaking, as well as multiple communications that hampered the ability of the Secret Service and local and state law enforcement. It reiterated an earlier report highlighting the issue. To talk to each other.
“The failure to secure a complex building, some of which are within approximately 130 yards of protected persons and which includes numerous positions with high-angle line-of-sight hazards, represents a serious safety deficiency. ”, the report states.
The commission said there were errors in planning between the Secret Service and local police, and that the Secret Service did not ask what was being done to secure the building, adding, “'If local residents were to cover the area, It is simply impossible to rely on the general understanding that That's enough; in fact, this attitude contributed to security failures at Butler. ”
The committee also noted the fact that Butler Assembly had two separate command posts. One was a command post for various local police forces, and the other was a command post for the Secret Service. “This created a structural disconnect in the flow of communication at the highest levels.”
There were other communication issues as well.
The Secret Service had to switch radio channels after radio traffic from agents protecting First Lady Jill Biden at an event in Pittsburgh popped up on the channel of agents covering the Butler rally.
The committee also noted that all law enforcement personnel on the scene communicated throughout the day through a “chaotic mix” of radios, cellphones, text messages, and emails.
The commission also said it was unclear who was in ultimate command that day.
Cultural issues within the agency
The report delves into the agency's culture, painting a picture of an agency that struggles to think critically about how to carry out its mission, particularly when it comes to protecting Mr. Trump.
The commission said agency employees essentially operated on the premise that they needed to “do more with less.” The report noted that additional security measures taken to protect President Trump after the Butler shooting should have been taken earlier.
“To be clear, the committee has not identified any malice or malice behind this phenomenon, but rather has decided to allocate personnel based on categories (former, candidate, candidate) rather than individual risk assessment. “We have identified an over-reliance,” the committee wrote.
The committee also noted that there had been “back and forth” between Trump's security department and Secret Service headquarters about how many people were needed to protect him.
The committee also accused some senior staff who attended the rally of a “lack of ownership.” As an example, the commission said senior field officials tasked with coordinating communications did not walk around the rally site in advance and did not brief state police personnel on how to manage communications before the rally.
The report cited the relative inexperience of two specific personnel who played a role in providing security for the July 13 rally. One was a field agent for Trump's inner circle, whose job was to coordinate security plans for the rally with the Pittsburgh field office. The agent graduated from the Secret Service Academy in 2020 and had only been in charge of Mr. Trump since 2023, according to the committee. Prior to the Butler rally, the agent had done only “minimal pre-scene work and site security planning,” he said.
Another agent tasked with operating the drone detection system had only used the technology in two previous events.
What did the panel recommend?
Create a unified command post for all large events where Secret Service and other law enforcement representatives are physically located in the same location. Overhead surveillance for all outdoor events. The security plan should include how to mitigate line-of-sight concerns out to 1,000 yards and who will be responsible for the event. and further training on how to get parents out of dangerous situations.
The committee also said the agency needed new external leadership and a renewed focus on its core protection mission, but expressed skepticism that the agency should continue with the investigations it currently conducts. He showed an attitude. The Secret Service is best known for its work protecting presidents and other VIPs, but it also investigates financial crimes.
“In the panel's opinion, it is completely unacceptable for the military not to prioritize the protection mission, especially when protection mission capabilities are currently less than optimal,” the report said.
Panel members were Mark Phillip, who served as deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush; Mr. David Mitchell served in numerous state and local law enforcement roles in Maryland and Delaware. Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama; and Frances Fragos Townsend, President Bush's assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism.
