Report out on Secret Service Failures Trump Shooting ‘troubling lack of critical thinking’

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An independent panel has sharply criticized the U.S. Secret Service for significant failures and a broader cultural decline following the July assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The panel's report highlights a troubling lack of communication and critical thinking during the attack, which resulted in Trump being injured and a rally attendee killed in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

He literally got up and yelled back "FIGHT"!

Donald Trump ditched the death by millimetres in an assassination attempt some hours back in a public rally.

The Secret Service snipers responded and eliminated the 20yo shooter on spot. pic.twitter.com/jtGyWDAGZf

— The Hawk Eye (@thehawkeyex) July 14, 2024

 

The panel, commissioned by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, concluded that the Secret Service has become "bureaucratic, complacent, and static," compromising its ability to protect those it is sworn to safeguard. On the day of the shooting, the agency failed to inform Trump’s detail about the imminent danger posed by the gunman, Thomas Crooks. More than 20 minutes before the shooting, law enforcement officers, including two from the Secret Service, recognized Crooks as a threat. However, this information never reached the agents responsible for Trump’s security.

Holy Sh*t

New footage from July 13th shows police had the building surrounded for over a minute before the shooter opened fire!!!

Why didn't they take Trump off stage?

Why didn't they get to the shooter faster?

WERE THEY ORDERED TO STAND DOWN?

Agents also already had texts… pic.twitter.com/TYPvgpsnZ7

— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) July 29, 2024

 

The report outlines critical gaps in the agency’s procedures, particularly noting that the bravery displayed by agents during the event was insufficient to mask deeper, systemic issues. "Bravery and selflessness alone, no matter how honorable, are insufficient to discharge the Secret Service’s no-fail protective mission," the panel stated.

 

The panel, consisting of former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, former acting Attorney General Mark Filip, and others, provided a detailed timeline of the events that unfolded. At 4:26 p.m., a local officer first observed Crooks sneaking into a restricted area near the rally, but communication regarding his suspicious behavior remained fragmented.

 

Even after Secret Service became aware of Crooks at 5:44 p.m., agents were unable to locate him before he fired at Trump at 6:10 p.m. Crooks managed to fire eight shots at the former president from the roof of a nearby building before being fatally shot by a Secret Service agent.

 

One of the most glaring oversights involved the unsecured AGR building, which had a direct line of sight to the rally stage. Despite receiving intelligence about possible foreign assassination threats, the building remained unchecked. Additionally, drone detection technology that could have flagged Crooks surveilling the rally grounds with his own drone was not deployed until too late due to technical problems.

 

The report highlighted communication failures between Secret Service personnel and local law enforcement, who relied on a disjointed mixture of texts, phone calls, and emails. Despite these issues, at least nine Secret Service members had been alerted to Crooks’ suspicious activity before he opened fire. Yet, none of this information was relayed to Trump’s security detail, a failure that could have led to the decision to hold Trump back from appearing on stage until Crooks was apprehended.

 

The agency’s embrace of a “do more with less” approach, as well as its rigid formula for determining security needs, was another point of criticism. The panel argued that the Secret Service has become formulaic in its risk assessments, lacking the critical thinking needed to evaluate the unique threats its protectees face. The agency's broader mission, which includes investigating financial crimes, was also called into question, with recommendations to narrow its focus solely on protection.

 

Following bipartisan criticism, Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle resigned 10 days after the Butler shooting. Yet, many personnel involved in the rally appeared to lack self-reflection or accountability, with some showing a “lack of ownership” regarding security failures.

 

The urgency for reform was underscored by a second assassination attempt just two months later, when another man armed with a semiautomatic rifle was spotted near Trump’s Florida golf course. Although this incident fell outside the scope of the panel’s review, it further emphasized the need for the Secret Service to enact the recommended changes.

 

The panel conducted 58 interviews and gathered information from multiple agencies, including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, to reach its conclusions. Ultimately, it urged the Secret Service to focus on better communication, enhanced agent training, and bringing in leadership from outside the agency to drive necessary reforms.

 

Based on a report from Politico 2024-10-18