Secret Service faces fresh scrutiny over Trump assassination attempt

by Ella Lee - 07/16/24 6:00 AM ET

The Secret Service is facing fresh scrutiny after Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Trump, hauling the long-troubled agency back into the limelight over what many see as failures on its part to protect the high-profile GOP nominee.

Trump was bloodied Saturday during a Pennsylvania campaign rally after he said a bullet nicked his ear. One rallygoer was killed and two injured in the incident sparked by a 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who had perched atop a building nearby the event site. Crooks was fatally shot by authorities moments after firing his weapon.

Though Trump himself said his Secret Service detail did a “fantastic job” protecting him from the shooter, the agency faced swift backlash over the close call.

“This will be highly analyzed, highly scrutinized,” said Lauren Bean Buitta, founder of the national security nonprofit Girl Security. “And if there is a security failure identified, the Secret Service and other agencies will be sharing information and lessons from that incident to try to prevent another occurrence.”

Political leaders, lawmakers and social media provocateurs on both sides of the aisle sharply questioned how a lone attacker managed to shoot at Trump.

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said in a statement that the incident raised “grave concerns” about the security measures taken — or not taken — to protect Trump, while Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote on social media that “any third grader would know that it’d be malpractice not to have personnel on the rooftop where the shooter was positioned.” Others called for resignations of agency leadership.

Cheryl Tyler, a former Secret Service agent, said “a lot of work” goes into preparing for major events involving protected individuals. Typically, an advance team of agents is assembled to liaise with local law enforcement, search for vulnerabilities on location and map out contingency plans.

The shooter took aim at the former president from a rooftop outside the venue, about 150 meters from where Trump was speaking — a little farther than a football field’s length away.

When it comes to determining the placement of a secure perimeter, there is no “rubber-stamping” or “definitive answer,” Tyler said of the Secret Service’s process.

“The question is, why or why not did the secure perimeter go further? I don’t know those answers — only those who did the advance know those answers,” Tyler said, suggesting the question is one investigators will likely seek to answer.

The FBI was deemed the lead investigator of the incident, which its director, Christopher Wray, called “nothing short of an attack on democracy and our democratic process.”

On Monday, the agency issued an update that it has gained access to the shooter’s phone, which technical specialists continue to analyze. Nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement, event attendees and other witnesses have already been conducted, the FBI said.

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General did not respond to questions about whether it intends to conduct its own investigation, given its oversight of the Secret Service.

When the shots rang out, Trump grabbed his ear and neck area before ducking below the lectern behind which he had been speaking. A split second later, Secret Service agents plunged toward the former president and created a human shield around him.

In that moment, his detail “acted correctly,” said Jonathan Wackrow, another former Secret Service agent.

“They did the elements of their job,” he said. “They put themselves between the threat and the protectee. They reacted laser-fast in getting on top of the president — shielding the president from harm.”

But before Trump was shuffled to a nearby vehicle to be transported away, he urged his detail to “wait, wait, wait” before thrusting a defiant fist in the air, met by cheers from the crowd.

The move raised eyebrows from some critics who claimed it slowed down Trump’s departure from the stage, but Tyler said Secret Service had little say in the matter.

“You can have the worst-case scenarios on Earth, but if [a protectee is] determined to do what they want to do, they’re going to do it,” she said.

The Secret Service’s countersniper team took down the shooter — a first in agency history, Wackrow said.

Kimberly Cheatle, who heads the Secret Service, defended the agency’s response to the assassination attempt in a statement Monday, writing that its personnel moved “quickly” and “neutralized” the shooter to ensure Trump’s safety.

She said the Secret Service intends to “participate fully” in the independent review President Biden ordered Sunday of security at the Pennsylvania rally, in addition to any oversight action by Congress.

“The Secret Service is working with all involved Federal, state and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever taking place again,” Cheatle said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department oversees the Secret Service, called the event’s security a “failure” but later told reporters he has “100% confidence” in the agency and its leadership.

Both former Secret Service agents who spoke with The Hill agreed that, despite agents appearing to execute their jobs well once shots were fired, the security overall was still a “failure.”

“It is so shocking that this threat was able to get to an elevated shooting position; 130 yards, basically, with a clear shot to the former president — I mean, that is a security failure,” Wackrow said. “It’s a failure in the execution of the plan. And I think that’s what the investigation needs to look into, is, where was that breakdown? What happened that caused this catastrophic incident to occur?”

Congress also sought swift oversight of the incident. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the House would conduct a “full investigation,” while House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) asked Cheatle to testify before his panel about the Secret Service’s response. She is scheduled to testify before the committee July 22.

Concern over the attack was amplified by its proximity timewise to the Republican National Convention, which began just two days later in Milwaukee.

2024 Election Coverage

It also follows years of worsening political violence against public officials. In his Sunday night address, Biden pleaded with Americans to “lower the temperature in our politics,” citing recent bouts of political violence including the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, the attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) husband and the kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). Trump urged the country to “stand united” after the attack.

Buitta said political leaders, campaigns and parties should start taking measures now to minimize potential civil unrest as the presidential election barrels nearer.

“We don’t need to wait for the worst-case scenario, because that occurred,” Buitta said.