A Department of Homeland Security whistleblower claims that most of former President Donald Trump’s security detail “wasn’t even the Secret Service,” according to Republican lawmakers.
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri conveyed these allegations to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday in an open letter outlining a series of security failures at President Trump’s fateful rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“A whistleblower with direct knowledge of the event contacted my office. According to the complaint, the July 13 rally was considered a ‘lax’ security event,” Hawley wrote in the letter. “For example, sniffer dogs were not used to monitor entry and detect threats, as is typically the case, and individuals without the proper credentials were able to gain access behind the scenes.”
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Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) (left) and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (right). (Getty Images)
Other alleged lapses in security procedures included insufficient personnel stationed around the security perimeter and insufficient enforcement of the buffer zone around the podium.
Most troubling is the claim that most of the personnel guarding the former president were not agents of the United States Secret Service (USSS).
“The whistleblower’s allegations suggest that the majority of the Department of Homeland Security personnel were not actually USSS employees, but rather were seconded by the department’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agency,” Hawley wrote. “This is particularly concerning given that, according to the allegations, HSI personnel were unaware of the standard procedures typically used at these types of events.”
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The Missouri senator criticized the Department of Homeland Security for not providing information about the incident to Congress and for “abruptly ending the only call with the USSSS before most senators had had a chance to ask questions.”
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin)had previously detailed a briefing the Secret Service gave to senators on Wednesday about the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump, saying “virtually no information was provided.”
“The director of the Secret Service acknowledged that mistakes and gaffes had been made,” Johnson said of Kimberly Cheatle. But explanations given by other officials were “largely irrelevant,” Johnson said. Only the four senators were allowed to ask questions, and there was no follow-up, he said.
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Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump is surrounded by security guards after being shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Hawley’s letter asks for answers to a series of questions related to the whistleblower’s allegations, including the ratio of USSS to HSI personnel and pre-rally security vetting.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
