Senate Report Reveals Secret Service Failures in Trump Assassination Attempt at Butler Rally

Sep 25, 2024, 12:03 PM

A preliminary report from a bipartisan Senate investigation has revealed significant failures by the U.S. Secret Service in the lead-up to the first assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The report cites a litany of planning, communication, and security failures that were deemed 'foreseeable' and 'preventable.' Notably, an inexperienced Secret Service agent flying a drone had to call a toll-free number for help, and a Secret Service sniper saw local law enforcement running toward the gunman but did not alert Trump's protective detail. The failures directly contributed to the attempt on Trump's life, according to the Senate panel. The investigation also found that the Secret Service did not properly communicate with local law enforcement or provide necessary resources, leading to a lapse in security. The report has raised new questions about the bullets fired at the rally and has led to increased scrutiny of the Secret Service's protocols and decision-making processes. Fireman Corey Comperatore was killed during the incident.