Staff Reports
A Senate committee has uncovered some serious blunders by the Secret Service during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13. In a report, lawmakers laid bare a catalog of missteps that make one question how such an important agency can be so incompetent when protecting a former commander-in-chief.
The report details shocking technical failures, particularly with the Secret Service’s communication systems. Apparently, multiple officials were reporting issues with their radios at the rally—communication devices they are supposed to rely on to keep the former President safe. If it sounds like a slapstick comedy routine where everyone forgets how to use their gadgets at just the wrong moment, that’s because it pretty much is.
Today's @HSGAC_GOP report on the Butler, PA, assassination attempt exposed the severe communication failures and multiple operational breakdowns within the Secret Service.
After 74 days, there has been no accountability—we need immediate top-down reforms. pic.twitter.com/2V0D5Jlssz
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) September 25, 2024
Meanwhile, the would-be assassin, identified as Thomas Crooks, was able to commandeer a drone that successfully hovered 200 yards from Trump’s rally site. At the same time, the Secret Service floundered in their tech incompetence. They were apparently too busy trying to reach customer support for their malfunctioning drone to notice Crooks in action. One agent, with a grand total of three months of experience, decided that calling a toll-free tech support hotline was better than being actively engaged in protecting the former President. Who needs crisis training when you have a customer service number on speed dial?
Even worse, the Secret Service’s C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System) was down for hours on the day of the rally, rendering them entirely defenseless against the aerial threat posed by Crooks. With explosives in tow and a rangefinder that could gauge the distance to Trump just before he took the stage, Crooks must have felt like he was playing a video game while the Secret Service was stuck on the tutorial level, unable to progress due to their lack of basic operational skills.
This report should raise serious concerns. It has been over two months since the incident, and there has been no accountability from the Secret Service. Lawmakers are calling for immediate reforms to prevent this kind of utter incompetence from reoccurring. Still, one has to wonder: are they really capable of enacting real change, or will they continue to play down the failures with more bureaucratic speak and no substantial action? It’s a slap in the face to every American who expects their government to serve and protect effectively, not practice for a circus act.
