In a bombshell Senate report, lawmakers have highlighted major security failures surrounding the July 2024 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bipartisan investigation, led by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, underscores critical lapses in the Secret Service's protocols, pointing to glaring errors that left Trump vulnerable to gunfire.
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, scaled a rooftop approximately 200 yards from where Trump was speaking, a vantage point that gave him a clear line of sight. Despite advance security sweeps, the building was not adequately secured, raising serious questions about the Secret Service's failure to anticipate such a threat.
Young blue collar worker in Pittsburgh left his job as a service tech to join the Pennsylvania Trump campaign after he saw the assassination attempt in Butler, PA.
“What I saw that day, I just — I wanted to help out.”
Absolute chills. pic.twitter.com/MWfRpad5Z9
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 23, 2024
Crooks fired multiple shots, one of which grazed Trump’s ear. While Secret Service agents quickly shielded the former president, the investigation revealed that the agency had delayed relaying information about the suspicious individual to local police. Nearly 20 minutes passed between when the Secret Service first noticed Crooks and when he opened fire. This oversight, along with an apparent lack of coordination between federal and local law enforcement, contributed to what lawmakers are calling a “massive security breach.”
The bipartisan committee, chaired by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and ranking Republican Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), has called for public hearings to address the incident. In a statement, Peters described the shooting as “a perfect storm of stunning failure,” emphasizing the need for a comprehensive review of the Secret Service’s operational standards.
🔥🚨BREAKING: Hindus in India are performing that ‘Hawa’ ritual for Donald Trump to ‘offer protection’ after his 2 recent assassination attempts. pic.twitter.com/SbyJjiryFy
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) September 24, 2024
One of the most troubling revelations is the shooter’s ability to scope out the rally site days in advance. FBI investigators found that Crooks had visited the fairgrounds on July 7, less than a week before the rally, and earlier on the day of the shooting. Despite his extensive planning, including searches for information about Trump’s rally and other high-profile political events, law enforcement has struggled to pin down a clear motive. Crooks, a Bethel Park resident with no prior criminal history, also had no clear ideological affiliations, according to FBI findings.
In the wake of the shooting, both Democrats and Republicans have expressed outrage over the security shortcomings. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was one of several prominent Republicans calling for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. McConnell described the attempt on Trump’s life as a “grave attack on American democracy” and stressed the need for new leadership at the Secret Service. Other lawmakers, including Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), echoed these sentiments, pointing to a broader failure in accountability, with no individuals being held responsible for the security lapses.
The investigation has also reignited debate over gun control and security protocols for public officials. Republicans, including those close to Trump, have largely avoided blaming firearms for the incident, focusing instead on the shooter’s mental health and the operational failures of the Secret Service. GOP leaders continue to stand by the Second Amendment, despite the shooter using an AR-15-style rifle in the attack..
Meanwhile, Democrats, though less vocal about new gun control measures in the immediate aftermath, are pushing for stricter firearm regulations. President Joe Biden renewed his call for a ban on AR-15s following the shooting. Still, the debate has revealed deep divisions between the parties on how best to respond to such high-profile threats.
These “hearings” in Congress are nothing more than window dressing. God only knows how many of them politicians on these committees were “in the know” and are part of the problem. Drain the damn swamp and start with term limits to rid us of these government funded idiots and traitors.