After the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, criticism has been directed at the U.S. Secret Service for not securing the building and rooftop used by the 20-year-old shooter. The head of the Fraternal Order of Police, Patrick Yoes, has criticized the agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle, for claiming that local police were responsible for ensuring the security of the venue where Trump nearly lost his life.
Yoes highlighted the fact that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged the failure in security could have resulted in a tragedy involving the former president. He also pointed out that local police agencies play a crucial role in assisting the Secret Service during such events, and should not be dismissed as unimportant. Yoes expressed concern about potential negative effects on interagency cooperation due to anonymous statements or media speculation.
In response to growing calls for her resignation, Cheatle has vowed to remain the USSS director. The shooter was quickly neutralized by Secret Service counter-sniper teams but managed to fire one shot that hit Trump’s right ear and caused a small amount of blood to be seen on his face. Trump described the experience as “surreal” and credited divine intervention for saving his life, with one doctor at the hospital reportedly calling it a miracle.
As he prepared for another rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump praised the agents who acted swiftly to protect him during the assassination attempt. He shared details of how his shoes fell off during the chaos and the iconic image of him raising his fist while shouting “Fight” three times as he was being rushed away from the stage.
