A Department of Homeland Security report has revealed significant lapses by the Secret Service during the 2024 assassination attempt against President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report has revealed that the U.S. Secret Service was aware of would-be assassin Thomas Crooks for two minutes before he opened fire on President Donald J. Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, hitting him in the ear, killing Trump supporter Corey Comperatore, and critically wounding rally attendees David Dutch and James Copenhaver. 📺 DETAIL: The report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, released on Thursday, highlights a series of failures, including poor communication with local law enforcement, inadequate intelligence sharing, and operational mismanagement. Crooks used a drone to scout the event, which went undetected due to insufficient counter-drone training and equipment malfunctions. Local law enforcement transmitted 102 radio messages about the threat, but the Secret Service only received five phone calls and three text messages, missing critical information. The agency also failed to block the shooter’s line of sight. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “The Secret Service has a no-fail mission. Well, they failed in Butler, and I don’t say that with any joy.” – Tim Miller, former Secret Service agent 🎯 IMPACT: The assassination attempt in Butler is the closest President Trump has come to being killed across three assassination attempts. The report issued seven recommendations to the Secret Service, including enhanced training, improved counter-drone operations, and better coordination with local law enforcement. 📺 FLASHBACK: Gunman Cole Allen attempted to rush President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., in April, allegedly intending to kill him and other senior members of the administration. One Secret Service agent was shot during the incident, but he did not come particularly close to the President. In September 2024, Trump came within a short distance of would-be assassin Ryan Routh while playing golf in Palm Beach, Florida. Routh was spotted by Secret Service and driven off before he could open fire, although he caused a multi-car pile-up that almost killed six-year-old Mia Rosalie Monreal and left her with a devastating brain injury during his escape attempt. The Butler assassination attempt in July 2024 remains the most serious, with the President coming within inches of being shot in the head and three others seriously injured, one fatally. |
Image by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
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