Most Damning Report on an Assassination Attempt in US History

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The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs released a scathing 133-page report on the massive failures of the Secret Service in the first assassination attempt on the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

As Sen. Rank Paul said, there was an inexcusable dereliction of duty. Not only was the American Glass Research roof inadequately covered, but they were also aware of a suspicious individual with a rangefinder for at least 27 minutes. After being informed that the suspicious individual was on the roof of the AGR building, they did not delay proceedings or remove former President Trump from the stage.

THE ADVANCE AGENT KNEW FOUR DAYS BEFORE

Most alarming is the information that the advance agent of the Secret Service was told four days before the rally that “credible intelligence” existed of a threat against President Trump. The lead advance agent told the committee on July 9, 2024, that “she received a call from the second supervisor of the Trump detail, telling her that USSS counter snipers would be assigned to the rally.”  She stated that “the second supervisor of the Trump detail informed her that the reason USSS was assigning counter snipers was because of “credible Intel” that he could not discuss further with her.

Despite the warning, the lead advance agent wrote in her planning document that there was “no adverse intelligence” concerning the Butler rally. The committee was told by numerous USS personnel that “there were expectations that any credible threat or intelligence would appear in the planning document. “

The advance agent also “did not inform her superiors or other USSS personnel involved with planning and securing the Butler rally that she was told of a threat.”

On July 10, 2024, the USSS Pittsburgh Office sent a letter to the FBI requesting any intelligence related to the July 13 rally. The FBI did not respond or share any intelligence. Then, on the morning of July 13, another intelligence agent for the Secret Service called Secret Service headquarters and asked if any adverse intelligence had developed. The headquarters told the intelligence agent that no information had been received despite the early warning.

Compounding this was the fact that Secret Service advance agents requested additional services but were denied. They also did not know of the credible intelligence.

When they were denied additional help, the Secret Service lead advance agents still did not inform any Trump team members of credible intelligence.

OTHER FAILURES

There were numerous other failures in addition to these failures.

The would-be assassin flew a drone over the event, but the agents didn’t seem to notice or react. The Secret Service didn’t know how to operate the police drone.

They knew of a suspicious person with a rangefinder – Thomas Matthew Crooks. The Secret Service security room found out about it at about 5:44 PM, and the USSS counter sniper team leader found out at 5:45 PM. They did nothing. Crooks began firing on President Trump at 6:11 PM, and, as we all know, a man lost his life, and two attendees were seriously wounded. Former President Trump barely escaped death.

Despite this, the USSS lead advance agent, site agent, and site counterpart told the committee they had not received any of this crucial information. They lied.

Three minutes before Crooks fired, they were informed and did nothing; 22 seconds before Crooks fired, the Office sent out a radio alert, and somehow, the Secret Service didn’t get it or didn’t respond.

At no time did anyone act to remove President Trump from the stage.

As we reported earlier, ABC News did manage to put this information out: Shortly before the shots were fired, a Secret Service counter-sniper saw local law enforcement running, guns drawn, toward the AGR building. That sniper did not inform President Trump’s details so they could remove him from the stage. The sniper said it never crossed his mind to notify them.

GENERAL FAILURES

There were other failures as well. The report is just mind-blowingly shocking.

On a good note, snipers did not require permission to fire before they fired.

Among the many failures, the Secret Service did not define responsibilities for planning and security. They failed to secure the AGR building. Secret Service failed to coordinate with state and local law enforcement. The DHS failed to provide resources for the July 13 rally that could have enhanced security. USSS failed to communicate information about the person to keep personnel and failed to take action to ensure the safety of former president Trump.

There’s more. This is just a summary.

Senator Blumenthal was right. It’s appalling, shocking dismaying. It’s incredible.

Why didn’t the FBI respond to the Secret Service Pittsburgh office when they asked for information? There was a Pakistani national with ties running around the day before trying to kill Trump as well as assassination teams, yet they didn’t say anything to the Trump contingent.

There is no explanation as to why USSS headquarters told the intelligence agent on the day of the rally that no adverse intelligence had been developed concerning the visit when the USSS’s lead agent had been told exactly the opposite days prior.

You can call it incompetence, or you could call it willful gross negligence. You could also call it deliberate. We just don’t know, and it’s not over. The investigation continues.

The negligence is so serious that it should be labeled criminal, and the people most responsible should be put on trial.

Watch a former agent and investigative journalist discuss the report:

 


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