Secret Service’s Oversight in Trump Rally Threat Response Revealed
A recent congressional report has revealed that senior Secret Service officials did not communicate critical “classified threat information” regarding President Trump to personnel tasked with his protection during a Pennsylvania campaign rally where an assassination attempt occurred.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicated that the intelligence regarding the threat had been relayed to Secret Service officials a full ten days prior to the July 13, 2024, incident in Butler. However, due to a “siloed practice for sharing” sensitive information, many individuals remained unaware of the potential danger to Trump’s life.
The GAO report, made public on Saturday by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), highlighted that “[t]he Secret Service had no process to share classified threat information with partners when the information was not considered an imminent threat to life.”
The report did not specify the nature of the classified threat, which was described as “highly classified” by Secret Service officials.
According to the findings, essential personnel from the Secret Service and local law enforcement, responsible for the security arrangements for the rally, were not informed of the threat. Members of the agency’s advance team, who were on site in Butler, did not receive this critical intelligence either.
The special agent overseeing the Secret Service’s Pittsburgh field office, responsible for the rally’s region, also reported that he had not received any details regarding the threat. If he had been aware of it, he stated he would have requested additional protective measures, including ballistic glass, drone support, and a full counter-sniper team, as noted in the report.
Grassley’s office asserted that the Secret Service had “multiple opportunities to share this information” leading up to the event, yet failed to do so on various occasions.
The shooting at the Trump rally in Butler, attributed to Thomas Matthew Crooks, resulted in injuries to Trump, two others, and the death of firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Grassley commented on the incident, stating, “One year ago, a series of poor choices and bureaucratic limitations resulted in one of the most shocking moments in political history. The Secret Service’s shortcomings on July 13 were the result of ongoing mismanagement and followed the Biden administration’s denial of requests for strengthened security measures to protect President Trump.”
He added, “Americans should be thankful that President Trump survived that day and ultimately was reelected to restore common sense to our country.”
Grassley characterized the 98-page GAO report as comprehensive, documenting the lapses that happened before and during the July 13 event.
The GAO pointed out flaws in the assigned Secret Service agents’ roles, noting that five of the 14 interviewed relied on their individual varying levels of experience to secure the event. Moreover, the advance team from the Secret Service did not review local law enforcement’s operational plans.
The report mentioned that the site agent at Butler, responsible for identifying vulnerabilities, was new to her position and had little experience, marking the rally as her first large outdoor event.
Additionally, the Secret Service had insufficient drones that could have potentially assisted in identifying the shooter, as many were already designated for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. The drones available malfunctioned and were operated by inexperienced personnel.
In response to the GAO findings, Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that the agency is committed to implementing the report’s recommendations and has already made significant progress.
“After the events of July 13, the Secret Service critically assessed its operations and initiated meaningful reforms to address the failures,” Curran explained. “We appreciate the ongoing support from President Trump, Congress, and both federal and local partners who have provided vital resources to aid the agency’s endeavors.”
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