Wed Sep 25 09:01:00 UTC 2024: ## Secret Service Fumbled Security Leading to Attempted Trump Assassination: Senate Report

**WASHINGTON** – A new Senate report reveals a series of preventable mistakes by the Secret Service leading up to the July assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. The report, released by the Senate Homeland Security Committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, details communication failures, unclear responsibilities, and technological glitches that allowed a gunman to fire shots at the former president.

The report criticizes the Secret Service for failing to adequately communicate with local law enforcement, leading to a delayed response to the threat. It also highlights the agency’s struggles with technology, including a counter-drone system that malfunctioned and was ultimately useless in stopping the gunman’s drone.

Senators from both parties, including committee chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and ranking member Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), have condemned the Secret Service’s performance, calling it a “perfect storm of stunning failure.” Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who chairs the investigations subcommittee, likened the agency’s response to an “Abbott and Costello kind of ‘Who’s on First?’ finger-pointing.”

The report points to a lack of clear responsibility among Secret Service personnel and a failure to share crucial intelligence information. It also cites the agency’s bureaucratic hurdles and struggles with technological innovation as contributing factors to the near-catastrophe.

Johnson, a Trump supporter, has accused the Secret Service of stonewalling the investigation, suggesting that the agency needs to be held accountable. He has called for the committee to issue subpoenas to get to the bottom of the matter.

The report has renewed calls for reform within the Secret Service and raises serious questions about the agency’s ability to protect high-profile individuals. While the report is interim, it highlights the severity of the agency’s failures and the need for immediate and comprehensive action to prevent future incidents.

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