Wed Sep 25 09:18:27 UTC 2024: ## Secret Service Failures Led to “Foreseeable” Assassination Attempt on Trump: Senate Report
**WASHINGTON** – A bipartisan Senate investigation has concluded that multiple failures by the Secret Service before a July rally for former President Donald Trump, during which a gunman opened fire, were “foreseeable, preventable, and directly related to the events resulting in the assassination attempt.”
The report, released Wednesday by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, echoes findings from the agency’s own internal investigation and an ongoing House probe. It identifies multiple failures on almost every level, including in planning, communications, security, and allocation of resources.
The investigation revealed a lack of clear chain of command, no plan for covering the building where the shooter climbed, and communication breakdowns due to officials using separate radio channels. An inexperienced drone operator also struggled with equipment malfunction, further hindering the response.
The Secret Service was notified of an individual on the roof of the building just two minutes before Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight rounds in Trump’s direction. The former president was struck in the ear by a bullet fragment, while one rallygoer was killed and two others injured.
The report also points to a local officer’s radio alert about the armed individual, which was not relayed to key Secret Service personnel. Additionally, a counter-sniper observed officers running towards the building with guns drawn, but didn’t consider notifying anyone to remove Trump from the stage.
“This was the result of multiple human failures of the Secret Service,” stated Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the panel’s top Republican.
The senators recommend the Secret Service clearly define roles and responsibilities before events, including designating a single individual for security plan approval. They also urge an overhaul of communications operations, improved intelligence sharing, and a congressional evaluation of resource needs.
In response, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi emphasized the agency has already implemented some of the recommendations and is working transparently with Congress. He also confirmed raising Trump’s security to the “highest level of protection.”
The Senate report comes just days after the Secret Service released its own findings on the incident and ahead of a House task force hearing on Thursday.
Lawmakers are determined to prevent similar failures from occurring in the future. “This was a failure on the part of the United States Secret Service. It’s important that we hold ourselves to account for the failures of July 13th,” stated Ronald Rowe Jr., the agency’s acting director.
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