The United States Secret Service has completed its internal review into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The agency published its completed “mission assurance” report on Friday, outlining several operational gaps that preceded the assassination attempt on the Republican presidential candidate’s life four months ago.
“July 13, 2024, was a failure for the Secret Service,” the report stated. “The protection of the President, Vice President, and major candidates for those offices is part of the vital mission of the Secret Service.”
The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, attempted to assassinate the 45th president from the rooftop of the American Glass Research (AGR) building near the venue of his campaign rally. Trump was injured in the attack. Rally participant Corey Comperatore was killed and several others were hurt.
The incident prompted multiple inquiries into the operational failures of the Secret Service that day.
Communication and Operational Failures
The report listed four breakdowns in communications.
Specifically, information about Crooks was never broadcast widely over the secure radio network. Instead, the report says, details about a suspicious individual were only shared between a limited number of law enforcement personnel through cell phone communication. The agency’s counter sniper team was offered a radio by local law enforcement. However, the Secret Service team “did not collect” that radio, the report states. This inhibited direct radio communication between the two counter-sniper teams.
Additionally, Trump was exposed to the shooter due to the agency’s failure to pinpoint line-of-sight issues at the venue such as “certain unobstructed views between the former President’s podium and areas where an attack could be launched,” the report stated.
Hot weather also became an issue during the rally. Temperatures on that summer day hit 90 degrees. Furthermore, many rallygoers arrived way before security screening even began, the agency said. According to the Butler County Director of Emergency Medical Services, 251 requests for medical assistance were reported.
The agency’s advance team believed there was a need for additional volunteer personnel to assist with medical care among participants during the event. However, there was a lack of coordination between campaign staff and the Secret Service, which resulted in a “higher-than-expected proportion of security personnel to be diverted into assisting with medical responses.”
What Happens Next?
Acting Director Ronald L. Rowe has developed a plan for a “paradigm shift” that will address the issues outlined in the report, the agency said.
“While operational enhancements are ongoing, the summary includes changes that have been made since the tragic event,” according to a statement by Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gugliemi.
The changes include adding more Secret Service agents to Trump’s detail, implementing agreements with federal partners to secure additional federal law enforcement personnel, and modernizing technology.
The report was released as Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris enter the final days of campaigning in the 2024 presidential race. Both Trump and Harris have ramped up their public appearances in battleground states to rally supporters ahead of Election Day.
The Secret Service stated in the report that it is “providing the highest levels of Secret Service protection to the Vice President and former President Trump, commensurate to the level of the President.”
The agency in September thwarted what appeared to be a second assassination attempt on the former president while he was playing golf at his International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Secret Service also maintained that it continues to work with Congress to “dramatically increase the agency’s resources.”