GOP Sen. Josh Hawley released a comprehensive report Monday detailing the Secret Service's failures surrounding the July assassination attempt on President Trump. The report includes new whistleblower claims that are highly damaging to the agency’s credibility.
Hawley, R-Mo., submitted his findings to the House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump to aid their investigation. He uncovered a “pattern of negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence” that culminated in the near-fatal attempt on Trump’s life during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“On July 13, 2024, former President Donald J. Trump was nearly killed by an assassin’s bullet while hosting a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Secret Service failed to prevent it,” the report states. “It was the most shocking breakdown in presidential security since the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.”
Hawley accused the Secret Service, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of avoiding accountability. “These agencies have slow-walked investigations, misled the public, and shirked responsibility,” the report claims.
Following the first of two assassination attempts on Trump within two months, Hawley visited the Butler rally site to interview whistleblowers and set up a tip line for additional information. His findings revealed serious security lapses, including that the Secret Service’s Counter Surveillance Division did not conduct its standard evaluation of the rally site and was absent during the event.
Whistleblowers informed Hawley that Secret Service personnel had rejected offers from local law enforcement to use drone technology, despite the fact that the would-be assassin had used a drone to survey the site hours before the attack. The Secret Service's Office of Protective Operations-Manpower instructed agents not to request additional security resources, knowing they would be denied.
The report also highlighted other concerning whistleblower allegations. Law enforcement personnel allegedly “abandoned” the rooftop where the attacker, Thomas Crooks, took his shot at Trump due to hot weather. The Secret Service agent responsible for site security, including “line-of-sight concerns,” was allegedly known for incompetence, leading to impaired visibility caused by items like flags around the stage.
Whistleblowers further revealed that DHS personnel were used to fill shortages of Secret Service agents on the day of the rally, some of whom had been pulled off child exploitation cases. Their training reportedly consisted of a “poor-quality, two-hour webinar.”
Another shocking revelation from the report was that the lead agent responsible for the Butler rally had previously failed a key exam during federal law enforcement training. Furthermore, intelligence units that typically coordinate with local law enforcement were allegedly absent from the rally.
After the shooting, whistleblowers claimed the hospital where Trump was treated was “poorly secured,” and the agent responsible for the site could not answer basic security questions.
Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director at the time, resigned following bipartisan pressure over the security failure. The agency’s assistant director, Michael Plati, also announced his retirement. At least five Secret Service agents have been placed on leave since the assassination attempt.
Read the full report here.
