Secret Service Accused After Donald Trump Attackwounded by a sniper at a rally held in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of Saturday, July 13. The security machine failed to function and did not prevent the twenty-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire with an automatic rifle. The young man, who killed a man and seriously wounded two others, fired from the roof of a building 150 meters from Trump’s stage.
Doubts and questions: what mistakes have been made
Crooks opened fire from a position identified as ‘3 o’clock’ relative to the target: Trump was hit by a bullet coming from the right. A few seconds after the shots, the snipers of the Secret Service shot and killed the attacker, who was positioned outside the security perimeter. This element fuels the first question: Was the perimeter drawn with an incorrect risk assessment? Judging by the facts, yes.
The FBI, which is leading the investigation, must determine how the attacker got to the roof of a building so close by. The words of people present at the rally have been widely reported in the media: several people said they saw a gunman moving “from one roof to another.” In particular, Ben Macer told the station KDKA that he “told an officer” that a gunman “was on the roof. When I turned to go back to my seat, the shots came and chaos ensued.”
Before the rally, Crooks was reportedly ‘watched’ by an unspecified law enforcement officer for his suspicious behavior in the area. The communication would have been sent via radio with the exhortation to keep an eye on the young man and the communication would have been forwarded to the Services, which normally do not allow the entry of weapons into the area affected by events such as rallies.
Biden orders investigation into intelligence operations
“The FBI is conducting the investigation which is still in its early stages.. We have no information on the attacker’s motive. Let the FBI do its job. I have given instructions for the investigation to be rapid, the investigators will have every resource at their disposal”, the words of President Joe Biden in the American afternoon.
“Trump is a former president and has received the nomination of the Republican Party. He has already received the maximum level of security. I have instructed the Secret Service to ensure that he is provided with all the necessary security measures. I have instructed the Director of Intelligence to review all security measures for the Republican convention” which begins on Monday, July 15. “Third, I have ordered an independent review of the rally to determine exactly what happened.”
Secret Service: “No additional measures denied to Trump”
The Secret Service, as well as local authorities in Pennsylvania and sources close to the former president’s campaign, denied reports that Trump’s team’s requests for increased security were denied. “There is a false claim that a member of the former president’s team requested additional security measures and they were denied,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
Videos posted online show the reaction of the Secret Service shooters: They shot after the sniper fired. Why didn’t they act earlier? According to Secret Service procedures, as highlighted by the American media, agents have broad discretion when it comes to adopting countermeasures in high-risk situations. In Butler, 4 teams of snipers were deployed: 2 from the Services and 2 from local agencies.
The FBI investigations
FBI investigates ‘potential act of domestic terrorism’ but has not yet identified a clear ideological motive behind the attack, explains Pittsburgh FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek to ‘NBC’. At the moment, he explains, “there is no indication of mental health problems”.
The feds believe Crooks acted alone: there is no reason to believe the emergency is still ‘live’ and there is no indication that Crooks had any previous interactions with law enforcement before Saturday. The family appears to be cooperating with the investigation. The FBI believes the weapon used in the assassination attempt was purchased by Crooks’ father.
Congress is also moving
The conduct of the agents employed in Butler, meanwhile, has also come under the spotlight of members of Congress: Republicans and Democrats are asking for clarification, calling for hearings on the episode. The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, is asking for a “thorough investigation” with depositions from the Services, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. In different forms and nuances, similar requests are coming from other members of Congress.
“There has been a security breach at the highest levels, something not seen since the attempted assassination of President Reagan. This cannot happen, we must take responsibility”, the tough position of Democrat Ruben Gallego.
Two congressmen, Republican Michael Lawler and Democrat Ritchie Torres, have announced their intention to introduce a bill to strengthen the security of White House candidates: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.
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