Former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt last Saturday at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, marking what many consider the most significant failure by the Secret Service in four decades.
In short, the agency tasked with safeguarding Trump failed spectacularly. They allowed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to position himself less than 500 feet from Trump and fire eight bullets, one of which came within millimeters of ending the former president’s life.
There are several investigations underway, but few answers have emerged. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday. Here’s a rundown of the glaring security lapses that need addressing:
The rooftop from which Crooks fired at Trump was a known security risk. According to NBC News, the Secret Service identified this vulnerability days before the rally. Yet, the building was excluded from the agency’s secured perimeter and handed over to local law enforcement. Why wasn’t the perimeter secured? How did rally-goers spot Crooks climbing to the rooftop before law enforcement did? And why weren’t any counter-sniper teams specifically assigned to watch that rooftop?
Local law enforcement was inexplicably stationed inside the building rather than on the rooftop. Cheatle claimed this decision was due to the roof being “sloped,” a rationale former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino called “bullsh-t” on his podcast. Local police snipers believed they could do the job from inside the building. So why weren’t counter-snipers placed on the roof to monitor for threats?
The ground security around the building was insufficient, allowing Crooks to access the rooftop. Even if police snipers weren’t on the roof, who was securing the building from ground entry? The Washington Post reported that a patrol car and officer were part of the advance planning but local police said they lacked the resources. Why didn’t the Secret Service devise an alternative plan? How did Crooks manage to climb unimpeded and get a direct line of sight to Trump?
Crooks was first noticed near a magnetometer with a range finder around 3 p.m., but was then lost track of. Why wasn’t he questioned or tracked earlier? CNN reported that he drew attention with a range finder, which looks like binoculars but is used by hunters or the military. Bongino disputes whether Crooks actually went through magnetometers. Regardless, who noticed Crooks with the range finder, and why wasn’t he questioned or tracked?
Despite being spotted about an hour before Trump’s speech, Crooks wasn’t stopped. Local law enforcement reported him to a command center after seeing him hanging around, then returning with a backpack and a range finder. Why wasn’t he stopped or questioned? If he was on law enforcement’s radar, how was he allowed to get on the rooftop unimpeded?
Secret Service reportedly spotted Crooks on the rooftop 20 minutes before Trump took the stage but did nothing to prevent Trump from speaking. ABC News reported that Secret Service snipers saw Crooks at 5:52 p.m. Why did they allow Trump to proceed? A local officer reportedly encountered Crooks on the roof, was threatened with a gun, and fell, injuring himself. Did Secret Service snipers witness this, and if so, why didn’t they act?
Despite Crooks pulling out his weapon and getting into position, Secret Service snipers didn’t act before he fired. Why wasn’t Crooks neutralized before he fired at Trump? Even after being identified as a threat, there was an 11-second lag between Crooks firing and the Secret Service returning fire.
Trump remained on stage for 10 minutes after Crooks was seen on the rooftop. Why wasn’t Trump removed from the stage? Was there an attempt to do so, or was a decision made to keep him there, and by whom?
There was no drone surveillance at the rally. According to Bongino, the Secret Service could have requested drone surveillance. Did they request it, and if so, who denied it?
Cheatle, who faces calls for her resignation but has stated she has no plans to step down, will have a lot of explaining to do on Monday.
