The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees released an initial, bipartisan report Wednesday morning detailing how the Secret Service failed to protect former President Donald Trump from an assassin’s bullets during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
“From planning missteps, to the siloed and flawed communication to the lack of effective coordination between law enforcement, to the breakdowns in technology, the Secret Service’s failures that allowed an assassination attempt on former President Trump at his July 13 rally were shocking, unacceptable, and preventable – and they led to tragic consequences,” Senate Homeland Security Committee Ranking Chairman Gary Peters released in a statement.
“Our initial findings clearly show a series of multiple failures of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and an inexcusable dereliction of duty,” Ranking Member Rand Paul added. According to the report, which spans nearly 100 pages, attempted assassin Thomas Crooks was able to prowl the rally grounds for 27 minutes with a range finder before he climbed on an unsecured roof and took his shots at Trump — injuring him and killing 50-year-old Corey Comperatore. Two other rally goers were seriously injured and nearly died. Crooks was knowingly on the roof for two minutes and yet, USSS failed to stop him and didn’t take Trump off of the stage.
“USSS failed to ensure the AGR Building was effectively covered. USSS identified the AGR building as a concern due to the line-of-sight from the roof to the stage, but did not take steps to ensure sufficient security measures were in place,” the report states. “USSS personnel, including the USSS Counter Sniper Team Leader, did not enter the AGR building or go on the roof prior to the shooting. USSS failed to effectively coordinate with state and local law enforcement. USSS did not give state or local partners specific instructions for covering the AGR building, including the positioning of local snipers.”
“Approximately two minutes before shots were fired, the USSS Security Room, located on the rally grounds, was told that there was an individual on the roof of the AGR building,” the report continues. “Shortly before shots were fired, a USSS counter sniper saw local law enforcement running toward the AGR building with their guns drawn, but he did not alert former President Trump’s protective detail to remove him from the stage.”
The report details widespread planning and communication failures.
“USSS Advance Agents for the July 13 rally denied individual responsibility for planning or security failures, deflected blame, and could not identify who had final decision authority for the rally. USSS planning and execution of security measures for the July 13 rally appears to have lacked a clear chain of command. USSS Advance Agents told the Committee that planning and security decisions were collaborative and could not agree on who at USSS was responsible for final approval or decisions. USSS Advance Agents interviewed by the Committee could not identify who was responsible for determining the security perimeter for the July 13 rally,” the report states. “Several USSS officials reported experiencing technical problems with their radios at the rally, and told the Committee such problems are common for USSS.”
Earlier this week, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe attempted to reassure Americans and lawmakers that the agency is capable of protecting Trump after a second attempted assassination attempt was thwarted during a golf outing in Palm Beach.
