An independent review has uncovered several failures within the U.S. Secret Service that contributed to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. The bipartisan panel, composed of four former senior law enforcement and government officials, identified multiple systemic and cultural problems within the agency, warning that without urgent and fundamental reform, similar incidents are likely to happen again.
The report, addressed to the Secretary of Homeland Security, highlights that the Secret Service has become “bureaucratic, complacent, and static.” It called for immediate changes within the agency to better prepare it for future threats. The review emphasized that significant reforms are needed to improve the agency’s operations, structure, and ability to execute its mission, stating that “another Butler can and will happen again” if changes are not made.
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A spokesperson for the Secret Service had previously acknowledged the agency’s need for a paradigm shift, citing ongoing challenges related to staffing, training, and technology. They admitted that the agency was struggling under the pressure of an increasingly dynamic threat environment, which was stretching resources and personnel to their limits.
The review was thorough, involving 58 interviews with individuals from the Secret Service as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It also included the analysis of more than 7,000 documents and a visit to the site of the assassination attempt in Butler, where the panel closely examined the security failures.
The panel found several “deep flaws” in the agency, many of which were systemic. These included a lack of critical thinking among Secret Service personnel and a reluctance among agents to voice concerns about potential threats. This culture of silence and complacency played a significant role in the agency’s inability to prevent the assassination attempt.
The report echoes prior findings of Secret Service failures during the July 13 rally. A critical failure, according to the panel, was that no personnel from any law enforcement agency had been assigned to secure the roof of the building from which the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired at Trump. This oversight was described as a “critical security failure” and should have been addressed through standard operating procedures, such as the use of physical barriers to block the line of sight to the stage.
Before the rally, Trump’s Secret Service detail had carried out additional security measures, including a countersniper advance, due to intelligence about a possible long-range threat against the former president. This intelligence, however, did not specifically reference the Butler rally. The Trump campaign later disclosed that the former president had been briefed on credible assassination threats from Iran, although the intelligence was not directly linked to this event.
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Crooks’ attempt on Trump’s life reflected the type of threat described in the intelligence, and the panel criticized the agency for not fully addressing the risks posed by such long-range threats. The report also mentioned evidence that Trump’s campaign staff may have resisted certain security measures, such as placing heavy equipment or vehicles at the rally site to mitigate risks. However, the panel concluded that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring proper security measures fell on the Secret Service, and any disputes with the campaign staff should have been resolved.
Further compounding the agency’s failures was an issue with the Secret Service’s drone detection system, which was inoperative for several hours on the day of the rally. Crooks was able to operate a drone for about 11 minutes near the rally site, and the system did not come online until more than 30 minutes after Crooks had already used it.
In addition to this, law enforcement officials failed to track down Crooks even after he was flagged as suspicious. He had been seen sneaking into a restricted parking lot by a local countersniper team member about to go off duty. Despite this, the information was not communicated to the Secret Service leadership in time, and Crooks was able to position himself on the roof of a building, preparing to fire on Trump.
The Secret Service did not receive timely updates about Crooks’ movements, with a critical alert only coming four minutes after Trump had started speaking at 6:09 p.m. A Pennsylvania state trooper stationed with the Secret Service in the security room verbally conveyed that Crooks was a suspicious individual now positioned on the roof. However, the security room lacked a direct view of the stage, and there was no Incident Command System in place to track and manage threats in real time.
The review panel issued several recommendations for the Secret Service, including the implementation of overhead surveillance at outdoor events, enhanced training for personnel, and the establishment of a central communications hub to coordinate law enforcement efforts during large-scale events. These reforms were deemed necessary to prevent future security failures and ensure a higher level of preparedness.
https://www.cpmrevenuegate.com/vt6hstxc?key=785582df3563a5011d6a42a72f53041e
One surprising finding in the report was that the agency’s shortcomings were not primarily due to a lack of funding. Despite the Secret Service’s budget nearly doubling from $1.8 billion in 2014 to over $3 billion in 2024, and staffing levels increasing by almost 25%, the panel found that these resources were not sufficient to address the agency’s systemic problems. The review concluded that even with an unlimited budget, the underlying issues—such as poor communication, insufficient training, and a lack of critical thinking—would not be resolved without structural reform.
the report stressed that the failures of the Secret Service in the assassination attempt went beyond financial or resource-related issues. It called for an overhaul of the agency’s culture, procedures, and training, warning that without these changes, the Secret Service would continue to face the risk of another catastrophic failure like the one in Butler.
