Politics
JUST IN: Secret Service Whistleblowers Reveal Security Failures To House Judiciary
Five days after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the motive behind the attack remains unknown. The U.S. Secret Service has been under the microscope for its handling of security at the event. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced today that whistleblowers have come forward, revealing significant security lapses at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to the whistleblowers, the Secret Service was stretched thin due to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and First Lady Jill Biden’s event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, resulting in inadequate resources for Trump’s event.
These agencies reportedly missed several vulnerabilities before and during the rally, which allowed the assassin to shoot the former president, kill an attendee, and critically injure two others. Jordan sent a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, demanding that he be fully prepared to address the Committee’s questions about the attempted assassination and the FBI’s investigation during his upcoming testimony on Wednesday, July 24.
The letter, addressed to Director Wray, stated, “Information provided to this Committee raises serious questions about the thoroughness of the security planning by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in support of President Trump’s campaign rally. Law enforcement overlooked a number of vulnerabilities prior to and during the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, allowing an assassin to shoot a President, murder an attendee, and critically wound two others. This tragedy demands a full and transparent investigation.”
🚨 #BREAKING: Whistleblowers reveal security failures at Trump rally 🚨 pic.twitter.com/vgXih4onW2
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) July 18, 2024
Jordan’s letter lists several critical questions for Wray to answer. These include the number of FBI personnel dedicated to the investigation, coordination with other agencies, the security of buildings around the event, and specific timelines regarding the shooter’s identification and the police response.
Additional questions focus on the FBI’s evaluation of the shooter’s activities, the scope of the investigation, resource constraints due to other events, communication breakdowns between law enforcement entities, and the actions taken by the Secret Service to protect Trump once the threat was known. The Committee gave Wray until July 23 to provide the requested materials.
Tensions within both parties have escalated as the race to election days draws near. White House Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced a tough confrontation with Republican senators at the RNC in Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and John Barrasso (R-WY) demanded answers regarding the agency’s failure to prevent an attempted assassination of Trump. The senators accused Cheatle of “stonewalling” and insist that she owed answers to the public and Trump.
The American people deserve answers from the Secret Service. pic.twitter.com/PNFF11v00Q
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) July 18, 2024
Cheatle has defended the decision not to place an agent on the roof, citing its slope as an impractical vantage point. However, the FBI is investigating why a local police officer failed to intercept Thomas Matthew Crooks, who roamed a nearby warehouse for an hour before the shooting.
Republicans have promised further oversight hearings, while Cheatle has refused to resign. Trump, who was grazed by one of the bullets, credited his Secret Service agents for saving his life. Trump was later seen at the convention with an all-male Secret Service team for this week’s convention. Crooks’ motives remain unclear, with neighbors describing him as a loner dissatisfied with politicians from both parties.
(YOURS FREE: Trump 2024 “Still Standing” Flag With Iconic New Imagery)