Trump Assassination Attempt – ‘We Were Careless’: Secret Service Admits Mistakes

An internal investigation found several communication failures, including in exchanges with local emergency services, the agency’s executive director, Ronald Rowe, said in Washington. Some key information was not relayed through the usual communication channels and therefore did not reach everyone.

Rowe continued that problems had been identified in advance but not communicated to superiors and not resolved. He added that individual officers who pre-screened the area were negligent, resulting in a breach of security regulations. “These employees will be held accountable.” He stressed that several technical and organizational changes had been made since the attack.

Trump now gets more protection
Since the attack, Trump has also been given the same protections as the sitting president. At the same time, Rowe pointed to the special burden placed on the Secret Service by the election year and many other high-profile events. “We have limited resources and we are using those resources to the max.”

Assassination attempt during election campaign event
In mid-July, a gunman opened fire and shot Trump at a Republican Party campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. One attendee died and two others were wounded. Trump suffered a wound to his right ear. The assailant was killed by security forces. The Secret Service is responsible for protecting high-profile politicians — including the current president, but also former incumbents or presidential candidates like Trump.

After the assassination of the Republican, there was much criticism of the Secret Service’s approach, because the shooter managed to reach a nearby roof with a direct view of the stage despite all security measures. There were also indications that the young man had noticed his behavior before Trump’s performance, but that the ex-president was still allowed to enter the stage.

Then-Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle admitted the agency’s failures after the attack and later resigned. Rowe came forward and said he was “ashamed” of the failures on the ground.

Just a few days ago, there was another incident: the Secret Service shot an armed man hiding in the bushes at Trump’s golf course in Florida while the ex-president was playing. The suspect did not fire a bullet himself and fled, but was arrested and charged a short time later. Authorities believe he also wanted to kill Trump.