The fallout from the July 13 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, continues to rock the Secret Service, with several agents now placed on administrative leave. The incident, which saw gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks take a clear shot at Trump from a nearby roof, has revealed significant failures within the agency’s security protocol.
According to RealClearPolitics, agents from the Pittsburgh Field Office have been suspended, while others from Trump’s permanent protective detail remain active. The selective accountability has fueled internal tensions, with many agents and former officials arguing that higher-ups in Washington share the blame for decisions that compromised security.
The controversy has also drawn attention to Acting Director Ron Rowe, who took over after Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned in the wake of the incident. Cheatle had already been under fire for refusing to approve Trump’s requests for additional protection at the rally. Her defense—that countersnipers were not deployed due to the steepness of the roof from which Crooks launched his attack—was widely criticized.
Further investigations revealed that key security teams, including the Countersurveillance Division (CSD), were either understaffed or not present at the event. Whistleblowers have alleged that these decisions were driven by cost-cutting measures, despite clear warnings of a specific threat against Trump.
The incident has exposed deeper issues within the Secret Service, including a culture of mismanagement and an overemphasis on diversity hiring at the expense of competence. As the investigation unfolds, many are calling for significant reforms to ensure the agency is better equipped to handle future threats against current and former presidents.
