Last week’s blistering Senate committee report details horrible failures by the U.S. Secret Service. Those breakdowns allowed for an assassination attempt to be made on then-former President Donald Trump while on the campaign trail on July 13, 2024. Heretofore classified, the committee’s investigation included 17 on-the-record interviews with Secret Service agents under oath. In addition, they analyzed thousands of legal documents, revealing shocking mismanagement of public communications and security procedures.
On that terrible day, Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old nursing-home worker from Pennsylvania, unloaded upon them with an AR-15-style rifle. The hatchet attack left rally-goer Corey Comperatore dead, with four others injured. At the same time, Trump was deeply wounded when a bullet grazed his ear. That dangerous and chaotic scene led to some legitimate concerns over whether the Secret Service’s response was adequate.
The Secret Service was accused in the report of failing to authorize Trump additional security measures prior to the rally. The report makes clear that, for all the seriousness of what happened, not one person has been terminated. This is incredibly hard to believe under the circumstances. None of these agents received suspensions of longer than 10 to 42 days, during which time they were docked their salaries and benefits. That wasn’t strong enough for most lawmakers.
Matt Quinn, then-deputy director of the Secret Service, addressed this crisis directly in a 2015 statement. He was adamant in his insistence that the agency should not “just fire our way out of this” dilemma. His remarks followed the very clear insinuation from the committee that the league desperately needed to be held accountable and be reformed from within the organization.
“What happened was inexcusable.” – Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
The release of this report couldn’t be timelier, falling almost exactly on the one-year anniversary of the assassination attempt. More importantly, it underscores the vulnerable state of the agency charged with protecting our national leaders. The committee’s findings point to a systemic failure in communication and preparedness, particularly leading up to the rally where Crooks executed his attack.
The Senate committee’s report noted that the agency’s shortcomings have deadly results. They feel the stakes are simply too high to justify such little punishment. Elected officials have repeatedly urged for far-reaching reforms that would tighten security protocols and ensure that deadly tragedies like these never happen again.