The United States Secret Service, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of Donald Trump, has come under the scanner after the assassination attempt on the former US President on Saturday (13th July) in Butler city of Pennslyvania.
Trump was shot at by an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle by a 20-year-old man, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. The attack led to the death of a former fire chief and injured three others, including the former US President.
The fact that the assassin got in such proximity to Donald Trump to take a clear shot highlights lapses on the part of the US Secret Service, which is entrusted to protect ex-Presidents during their lifetime.
However, a graphical illustration by the New York Times of an aerial image of the site of the Trump rally highlights key issues.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to strategically position himself on the roof of a manufacturing plant named AGR International, which provided a clear line of sight to Donald Trump.
The plant was about 150 metre outside the zone of Donald Trump’s rally and on a high ground, which should have been covered by the law enforcement authorities.
Experts highlight security failure
While speaking to NBC News, a retired special agent named Jim Cavanaugh said, “Whenever I’ve been with them, every single high ground is taken by them or the local SWAT police. There’s nobody allowed walking on rooftops. They command the high ground.”
“Having been on Secret Service details, it’s amazing to me that somebody was on an elevated position that they didn’t know about,” he pointed out.
Former SWAT Commander Steve Nottingham told NBC News that the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was “a fundamental security failure.” He added, “They were behind the curve, because they should have had those places (positions) covered ahead of time.”
Dan Bongino pic.twitter.com/Qobd40I1ve
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) July 14, 2024
Former secret agent, Dan Bonzo, remarked, “You’re telling me the best technology you have was deployed and you missed a shooter 130 yards…Donald Trump saved his own life… The evacuation did not go right.” He also made an alarming revelation.
“There have been repeated requests to increase the security footprint around not just the residences of Donald Trump, but the body itself, and they have been rebuffed,” he highlighted.
Police failure to create alert, snipers missing in action
According to a report by the Associated Press, a local police officer climbed onto the rooftop of the manufacturing plant and confronted the assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. However, he climbed down the stairs soon after being threatened with a rifle.
Moments later, Thomas fired at Donald Trump. The Secret Service jumped into action and neutralised him.
“A local law enforcement officer climbed to the roof and found Crooks, who pointed the rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and the gunman quickly fired toward Trump, the officials said. That’s when U.S. Secret Service gunmen shot him, the officials said,” the Associated Press report stated.
NEW – Trump Assassin video shows him crawling on the roof while multiple people point him out to police
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) July 15, 2024
They yelled about him for *almost an entire minute*
It’s insane how Secret Service allowed this amateur to almost kill Trump pic.twitter.com/CWfHBGzOCp
In the meantime, several photos and video clips have surfaced on social media where onlookers were seen pointing out the assassin before he fired shots at Donald Trump.
Unsecured rooftop 150 yards away. Multiple witnesses saying they were screaming at secret service and cops for 3-4 minutes as they watched the guy with the rifle crawl to the spot and line up his shot. Take your secret service and shove it up your ass. Prayers to Trump and…
— Bobby Kennedy III (@bobbykennedyx) July 14, 2024
It remains unknown why the snipers, who are equipped with long-range binoculars and rifles, did not take pre-emptive action against Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Secret Service snipers, exact moment pic.twitter.com/Pyr2akHwe0
— Kalu Aja (@FinPlanKaluAja1) July 14, 2024
“In order to maintain a safe environment for the president and other protectees, the Secret Service calls upon other federal, state and local agencies to assist on a daily basis. The Secret Service Uniformed Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Park Police patrol the streets and parks nearby the White House,” reads the FAQ section of the Secret Service’s website.
🇺🇸 The crowd saw the assassin and even took pictures of him with the rifle on the roof, but neither snipers, nor secret service noticed him 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/upDn431zU7
— Roberto (@UniqueMongolia) July 14, 2024
However, on Saturday (13th July), all security protocols followed by the US Secret Service to protect Donald Trump had gone for a toss.
Secret Service agents fail, ‘diversity hires’ called into question
Immediately after Donald Trump was shot, a clueless Secret Service agent was heard asking, “What’re we doing, what’re we doing, Where are we going…”
Following the attack, the former US President was evacuated from the election rally site in an SUV and rushed to the hospital. At that time, another Secret Service agent was seen fumbling to grab her weapon.
Fury at Secret Service after Trump shooter opens fire from obvious perch & video shows agents fumbling to get ex-prez to safety https://t.co/YKtUXPnPtp pic.twitter.com/h0a98RUKuF
— New York Post (@nypost) July 14, 2024
This has brought into question the DEI policy of the US Secret Service. Netizens and Republican leaders have questioned if people were being hired in the name of diversity and not their actual capabilities.
Amid the controversy, an interview of the Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle with CBS News, emphasising diversity hires, had gone viral on social media.
“I am very conscious as I sit in this chair of making sure that we need to attract diverse candidates and ensure that we are developing and giving opportunities to everyone in our workforce and particularly women,” Cheatle was heard saying.
CBS News Report reveals what Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has been focused on: diversity hires pic.twitter.com/IoKnY4uj6M
— Matt Batzel (@MattBatzel) July 14, 2024
Eyewitness testimonies and unanswered questions
While speaking to CBS News, an eyewitness narrated, “Um, I was just hanging standing there like everybody else waiting for Trump. I noticed two officers that were looking for something or somebody. I was looking around and saw a guy on top of one of the buildings going to the next.”
A witness to the shooting at Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, says he saw the gunman on a roof and flagged the suspect to police right before shots rang out. https://t.co/nSwmWOaGFa pic.twitter.com/exD1ONtdih
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 14, 2024
“I told an officer that he was up there and went back to my spot. I heard that people could still see this person from where they were standing. So I checked that out and I went and told the officer to come over there and see the person. When I turned my back, the shots had started. It took me a second or two to figure out exactly what it was,”he further informed.
