Senate Report Details ‘Cascade of Preventable Failures’ by Secret Service in Trump Assassination Attempt
WASHINGTON – A highly critical Senate committee report released one year after the attack on Donald Trump has detailed a “cascade of preventable failures” by the U.S. Secret Service, concluding that “inexcusable” security lapses allowed a gunman to open fire on the former president at a campaign rally.
The 31-page report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, provides a stunning account of the agency’s shortcomings in the lead-up to the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The investigation found that requests for additional staff and security assets were denied or unfulfilled and that an inexperienced operator was assigned to oversee the event’s security. The attack ultimately left rally-goer Corey Comperatore dead, wounded Trump, and resulted in the death of the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
“Stunning Failures” in Security Planning
The Senate report, which was based on 17 interviews with Secret Service personnel and a review of 75,000 pages of documents, highlighted significant gaps in security planning. It revealed that Secret Service headquarters had “denied or left unfulfilled” requests for additional resources—including countersnipers, Counter Assault Teams, and drones—for multiple Trump campaign events in 2024, despite intelligence indicating increased risks at outdoor venues.
This alleged mismanagement of resources was compounded by what the report described as a breakdown in communication between local law enforcement and the USSS. These vulnerabilities allowed the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, to scale a nearby building and evade detection for nearly 45 minutes before opening fire with an AR-15-style rifle.
Accountability and Allegations of Misleading Congress
A central focus of the report is the issue of accountability within the Secret Service. It states that while six agents were suspended without pay for periods ranging from 10 to 42 days, “not a single person has been fired” as a result of the failures. Sen. Paul’s report argues that these consequences “do not reflect the severity of the situation” and calls for more severe disciplinary action in the future.
The report goes further, accusing former Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle and former Acting Director Ronald Rowe of making “false or misleading statements to Congress.” It alleges Cheatle testified that no resource requests for the Butler rally were denied, a claim the committee says is contradicted by evidence of at least two instances where assets were refused by USSS headquarters.
A Hero Remembered and Calls for Unity
The attack cast a shadow over the nation, resulting in the death of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was hailed as a hero for reportedly shielding his family from gunfire. Following the incident, then-President Joe Biden spoke with Donald Trump and extended his “deepest condolences” to the Comperatore family.
In a call for national unity, President Biden strongly condemned the attack and all forms of political violence, stating that politics must “never be a literal battlefield.”
Secret Service Response and Future Reforms
The Secret Service has acknowledged the findings. In a statement, current Director Sean Curran affirmed that the agency “has implemented substantive reforms to address the failures that occurred that day” and will continue to cooperate with the committee’s oversight.
However, Deputy Director Matt Quinn signaled a focus on internal improvement over termination, stating the agency would not “fire our way out of this” crisis. As the nation reflects on the anniversary of the attack, the Senate report ensures that scrutiny of the Secret Service’s ability to protect national leaders remains a pressing issue.
