Secret Service Failures in Butler Prompt Calls for Overhaul After Two Trump Assassination Attempts

Oct 17, 2024, 12:01 PM

Two men, Jim Copenhaver and David Dutch, who were wounded during an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July have spoken out, accusing the U.S. Secret Service of negligence. The men, both critically injured when a gunman opened fire at the July 13 event, claim the Secret Service failed to protect them and Trump due to lapses in security measures, describing the experience as "like getting hit with a sledgehammer right in the chest" and noting that they "could feel [their] ribs were all busted up." An independent panel appointed by the Department of Homeland Security and ordered by President Biden has released a scathing 52-page report criticizing the Secret Service for systemic flaws, labeling the agency as 'complacent,' 'bureaucratic,' and 'static,' with a 'troubling lack of critical thinking.' The report calls for fundamental reforms and new, outside leadership, warning that without significant changes, incidents like the Butler shooting 'can and will happen again.' The panel also referenced a thwarted assassination attempt on Mr. Trump at his golf club in Florida last month, emphasizing the urgency for reform.