An internal investigation has revealed that Secret Service agents failed to put proper safeguards in place at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where his would-be assassin had a clear line of sight from the AGR International building. The agents discussed using cranes, trucks and flags with headquarters and the Pittsburgh field office to obstruct the view but ultimately failed to do so, according to officials who spoke to the Washington Post.
Secret Service supervisors who arrived on site found heavy equipment and flags placed in areas that did not block the line of sight between the AGR building and the stage where Trump was shot. The investigation, ordered by Secret Service acting director Ronald Rowe, also discovered that the agency never instructed local police to secure the rooftop from which Thomas Matthew Crooks tried to assassinate Trump.
The internal probe detailed a communication breakdown between federal and local authorities, with the radio room used by Secret Service agents unable to receive real-time alerts from local police stationed outside. It has previously been reported that Crooks was spotted by law enforcement using a rangefinder and looking at his phone nearly an hour before Trump took the stage.
Agents on the ground received word that Crooks was a “threat” just 10 minutes before Trump began speaking, but they did not hear local police discussing attempts to track down the gunman earlier. Rowe admitted to the Washington Post that the agency must be held accountable for the security breakdowns highlighted in the report and has launched another review to boost security for government officials protected by the Secret Service.
Senators from both sides of the aisle expressed their shock and dismay at the failures uncovered in the investigation, which is expected to be released next week. The panel’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will report the findings to the American public in an effort to hold the agency accountable for its shortcomings.
