Another assassination attempt has caused renewed criticism of the Secret Service in the USA – politicians are calling for reform. Biden also advocates more resources.
West Palm Beach – After the alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trumpthe Secret Service has been repeatedly criticized. The suspect had apparently waited in the bushes of Trump’s golf club for almost twelve hours. When checking the area on Sunday (September 15), an officer spotted the armed man, immediately fired at him and took him into custody. But how could he have remained undetected for so long? The secret service needs a general overhaul, say politicians.
US President Joe Biden advocates more funds and agents for the secret service. “The service needs more help. I think Congress should respond to their needs if they actually need more service members,” Biden said at a press conference on Monday (September 16).
“Shouldn’t have been there”: Secret Service under time pressure due to spontaneous change of plan
According to Palm Beach officials, the Secret Service must ensure Trump’s security. There would have been more local security forces if he were president, said Ric Bradshaw, the county sheriff at a press conference. “At the level he is at now, he is not the sitting president – if he were, we would have surrounded the entire golf course,” he was quoted as saying. Newsweek“But because he is not, security is limited to the areas the Secret Service believes are possible.”
At the same time, the Secret Service was unable to inspect the golf course in advance, Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. told reporters on Monday, the TimeTrump’s golf visit was not on the official schedule. He “shouldn’t have been there,” Rowe said. The Secret Service implemented its “contingency plan based on our tactical resources” and “that security plan worked.”
“Alarming and horrifying”: Second assassination attempt on Trump
It was only in July that massive criticism of the Secret Service was voiced after the first assassination attempt. The officers were accused of failing to adequately protect the life of the former president. A man shot just past Trump’s head and a man from the crowd was killed. Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned as a result. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who democrat from Connecticut, who is investigating the security deficiencies in the incident, was shocked: “A second serious incident in which an assault weapon appears to have been involved is certainly deeply alarming and appalling,” he said, according to Newsweek.
“Lack of leadership”: Republicans call for intelligence reform
republican were critical of the intelligence service. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, called for structural reforms. “We need more resources. We need to clean up the leadership,” Graham told FoxNewsThe agents on the ground performed heroically but were let down by systemic deficiencies.
Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett also spoke out. “The problem is that the intelligence community, at least in my opinion and in the eyes of the public, is compromised and lacks leadership,” Burchett told FoxNewsHe argued that the agency would need to be overhauled under a future Trump administration.
“More with fewer resources”: Trump has used the Secret Service more than other former presidents
The secret service has reached its limits. This could be because Trump has used the Secret Service more than any former president before him. He continued to hold rallies, presenting the secret service with unknown challenges, former director James Murray told Congress in 2022. “We have done more with fewer resources, and we have done so for many, many decades,” Rowe said.
In addition, Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and misinformation are creating a heated political climate in the USA – especially in the election campaign for the Presidential election in November 2024. (dpa/hk)
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