An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, stated on Thursday that a similar incident “can and will happen again” without significant reform at the Secret Service.
In a detailed 35-page report, the panel established by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas outlined various errors made on the day of the assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler on July 13. They emphasized the need for new leadership within the Secret Service, criticizing the agency for its complacency and the current leadership’s lack of critical thinking.
“Thousands of men and women have dedicated their lives to the Secret Service, and we remain grateful to them for their bravery, selflessness, and willingness to serve in a vital role,” the panel said in a letter to Mayorkas attached to the report. “But the Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform to carry out its mission. Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again.”
During the July 13 attack, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight shots at Trump, hitting the former president in the ear and resulting in the deaths of 50-year-old rally attendee Corey Comperatore, while also wounding James Copenhaver and David Dutch. The panel, which included former officials from the Bush and Obama administrations, dedicated its report to Comperatore, Copenhaver, and Dutch.
The report highlighted several critical errors made on the day of the assassination attempt, including the failure to secure the roof of the American Glass Research building, where Crooks fired at Trump, significant communication breakdowns, and various planning shortcomings.
Additionally, the panel noted that the Secret Service has become “bureaucratic, complacent, and static,” even as risks have increased and technology has advanced. They pointed out that many personnel responsible for securing the rally had not engaged in meaningful self-reflection regarding their mistakes or how to enhance future security measures.
“Many personnel struggled to identify meaningful examples of either type of observation—what went wrong and what could be done better in the future to prevent a similar tragedy from reoccurring,” the report said.
The panel noted that those organizing the rally demonstrated “a surprising lack of rigor in assessing the specific risks to individual protectees.”
For instance, a senior agent responsible for coordinating communications did not know key details about the site, such as the location of the AGR building, as stated in the report.
The panel strongly suggested that new leadership from outside the agency be brought into the Secret Service to tackle these issues.
Many of the shortcomings highlighted by the panel were similar to those identified by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which issued a critical report last month regarding the Secret Service’s management of the Butler rally.
Earlier this month, Trump returned to Butler for a rally to honor Comperatore and those injured during the attack.
