Staff Reports
The House task force investigating the July assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has released an interim report that paints a troubling picture of law enforcement’s preparedness—or, more accurately, the lack thereof. The task force concluded the incident was entirely “preventable,” and it turns out, if you were looking for a case study on how not to handle a high-stakes security situation, well, look no further than Butler, Pennsylvania.
The report highlights a spectacular breakdown in communication across multiple law enforcement agencies. Apparently, there were “several pivotal moments” during which local police could have stopped the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, but instead, law enforcement acted about as coordinated as a three-legged race at a family reunion. The Secret Service and local cops at the rally venue failed to work together effectively, leaving a gaping hole in security as Crooks took aim.
Today, scathing House Task Force preliminary report on Trump attempted assassination in Butler details mistakes and says incident was preventable. https://t.co/mmYRjk5zaR@KDKA pic.twitter.com/4f3VCwotV5
— Jennifer Borrasso (@JenBorrasso) October 21, 2024
In the run-up to the rally, no unified command center was established—just a hotbed of confusion. As it stands, a local law enforcement officer dashed off a quick radio warning moments before Crooks fired. However, that message never managed to leap the Great Wall of Miscommunication, leaving Trump blissfully unaware that his biggest fan might just take a shot at becoming the next contestant on “America’s Got Talent… or Maybe Not.” The report notes that because of these failures, critical information about the imminent threat was not relayed in time to ensure the President’s safety.
The task force was not shy about pointing fingers either, claiming that the absence of a joint meeting between the Secret Service and local law enforcement on the day of the rally left everyone playing defense with no game plan. By all accounts, the pre-rally walkthrough was described as “disorganized,” which is code for “they could have had a carnival of clowns running security and gotten better results.” Witnesses reported that instead of a structured briefing, it felt like someone just threw a bunch of people into a sandbox and let them figure it out.
Now, as if this fiasco wasn’t alarming enough, the Secret Service is getting a serious dressing-down from all corners, from the House task force to the Department of Homeland Security. It seems the agency is under a microscope, with investigations galore trying to find out how an assassin walked through a gaping hole in their protocols. An independent review even warned that unless the Secret Service makes some much-needed reforms, it’s only a matter of time before they find themselves juggling more red flags than a communist rally.
The final report from the panel is set to drop by December 13, complete with recommendations on how to prevent further lapses—because who wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of “full accountability” from a group that can’t even coordinate a simple security detail for the former president? In short, as House investigations unfold and more revelations come to light, the Secret Service’s reputation is taking a serious hit, revealing just how unprepared they were for a threat that everyone but them seemed willing to acknowledge.
