Secret Service Bosses Repeatedly Denied Trump Additional Security for 2 Years Before Assassination Attempt
Harris was beating Donald Trump in eight national polls this week.
July 21 2024, Published 12:19 p.m. ET
The Secret Service denied former president Donald Trump's request for higher security measures during his rallies leading up to the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump after being shot at a rally in Pennsylvania.
According to outlets, Secret Service officials repeatedly turned down Trump's pleas for increased security over the two years leading up to the assassination attempt.
The requests for additional agents, magnetometers at public events, and extra snipers at outdoor venues were all denied by senior officials, citing resource shortages within the agency.
The denial of Trump's security requests and the subsequent assassination attempt shed light on potential lapses within the Secret Service's operational protocols.
The incident has also sparked outrage and scrutiny, leading to increased security measures for the ex-president following the infamous breach in security.
Former President Trump claimed that President Biden is a “threat to Democracy” who “never had Covid” after the 81-year-old commander-in-chief dropped his bid for reelection Sunday.
The assassination attempt occurred at a campaign outdoor rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday, July 13, where a 20-year-old gunman opened fire on Trump.
The attacker, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was positioned on a rooftop just 130 yards away from the ex-president, injuring Trump and killing an audience member. Two others were seriously injured.
The shooter was caught on video lurking in the background of the Pennsylvania rally at least an hour before he shot at the GOP nominee.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the video of Crooks was recorded by an event attendee. It showed a man matching Crooks' description pacing the perimeter near the building he later climbed to fire at Trump.
Ronald Rowe attemped to address the criticism the agency faced for its failure to prevent the assailant from targeting Trump.
After the attack, the Secret Service faced criticism for its failure to prevent the assailant from targeting Trump. The agency initially denied claims of insufficient security preparations but later admitted to rejecting Trump's security requests.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who has faced mounting pressure to resign in the last week, doubled down on the denials in a meeting with Trump campaign leadership in Wisconsin on Monday.
Despite the incident, Trump has continued his campaign trail with enhanced security measures in place for his safety.
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Analysis of Crooks' devices revealed he additionally had photos of Trump, President Joe Biden and key dates for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
After the briefing, lawmakers said agents revealed Crooks also "scoped out" the Trump rally's venue beforehand.
Robert Wells, assistant director of the FBI counter-terrorism division, announced the attempted assassination was being investigated as "an act of domestic terrorism".
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In an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters, the former president discussed his ill-fated rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump told the interviewer that "nobody mentioned" Crooks despite the fact that he was being monitored for "an hour" before the shooting.
"Mistakes were made," Watters told Trump. "They were monitoring this guy for an hour beforehand. No one told you not to take the stage?"
"Nobody mentioned it," the former president replied. "Nobody said it was a problem."
The New York Post first reported this story.
