Former President Donald Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Pennsylvania marked the first time the Secret Service deployed counter-snipers to protect him, according to Ronald Rowe, the agency’s acting director. In a press briefing, Rowe revealed that this was done due to a threat evaluation and the decision ultimately saved Trump’s life by neutralizing his would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks. The incident also led to increased security measures for other high-profile political figures at outdoor events.
The Secret Service had initially relied on state and local counter-sniper teams, such as Beaver County Emergency Services Unit personnel, to provide protection to Trump during his rallies. However, in the case of the Butler Farm Show site, these local counter-snipers lost sight of Crooks shortly before he opened fire from the American Glass Research (AGR) International building. This communication breakdown and subsequent security lapses led to a failed assassination attempt on Trump, killing Corey Comperatore and injuring David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
Despite these failures, Rowe took full responsibility for the incident and vowed that the Secret Service would not make such mistakes in the future. He also testified before a joint Senate committee hearing, expressing his regret and pledging to improve security measures at future events involving high-profile political figures. This includes ensuring that both Secret Service and local counter-snipers are deployed together, providing a comprehensive level of protection.
However, in the wake of these revelations, there have been allegations suggesting that Rowe had personally ordered significant cuts to threat assessment teams like the Counter Surveillance Division (CSD) ahead of the assassination attempt against Trump. While Rowe denied these claims and praised the work of the CSD, it remains clear that the Secret Service needs to reassess its security protocols for outdoor events involving high-profile figures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
