A newly released Government Accountability Office report, requested by Sen. Chuck Grassley, reveals the Secret Service received classified intelligence about a threat to President Trump’s life ten days before the July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania—but failed to share it with agents on the ground or local law enforcement.
The investigation, led by Sen. Chuck Grassley, found that senior officials were briefed on the threat on July 3 but withheld the information, citing the agency’s lack of a policy requiring disclosure unless the threat was considered imminent. As a result, frontline personnel were left unaware of the risk leading up to the attempted assassination.
The report also identified widespread planning failures. Five of the 14 key agents assigned to the rally were new to their roles. Secret Service advance teams failed to review local law enforcement plans or engage in joint security coordination.
A campaign request to remove farm equipment near the stage inadvertently gave the shooter a clear vantage point. Counter-sniper units were only deployed after internal pushback, and aerial surveillance was hampered by faulty drone equipment and undertrained operators.
Grassley also released a previously private letter from Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to then–DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, outlining whistleblower claims that Secret Service personnel routinely used personal cell phones for official duties—posing serious legal and security risks. The letter described 2021 agency-imposed restrictions on government-issued phones that allegedly blocked group texts and prevented sending or receiving images via text message, pushing agents to rely on unsecured personal devices.
Read the GAO report
Read the DHS IG letter
Read Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Press Release
