The Secret Service now admits that it denied some requests by the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump’s campaign, for increased security at his events in the years leading up to the assassination attempt against him at a recent rally.
Immediately after the attack on July 13, the Secret Service had initially denied rejecting such requests. However, the agency acknowledged late Saturday, a week after the attempt on Trump’s life, that it had indeed rejected some requests to ramp up security around the former president.
This change in stance is likely to be a significant point of discussion at a congressional hearing on Monday, where Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is scheduled to testify before lawmakers who have expressed frustration over security failures that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to climb onto the roof of a nearby building at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and shoot his weapon.
As a result of the shooting, Trump sustained an injury to his ear, one attendee was killed, and two others were wounded.
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“The Secret Service has a vast, dynamic, and intricate mission. Every day we work in a dynamic threat environment to ensure our protectees are safe and secure across multiple events, travel, and other challenging environments,” said the agency’s chief spokesperson, Anthony Guglielmi, in a statement released late Saturday to The Washington Post. The newspaper was the first to report on the agency’s reversal, which was prompted by detailed inquiries submitted to the agency.
“We execute a comprehensive and layered strategy to balance personnel, technology, and specialized operational needs,” Guglielmi added.
He mentioned that in instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not available, the agency made adjustments to guarantee the protection of the protectee, sometimes enlisting the help of state or local law enforcement agencies.
Following the assassination attempt and reports that the agency had turned down security requests from the Trump campaign, Guglielmi initially refuted these claims.
There is “an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed,” Guglielmi stated in a social media post. “This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo.”
The Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, labeled the incident a “failure,” with some lawmakers calling for Cheatle’s resignation or termination. Cheatle, however, continues to have the support of Democratic President Joe Biden and Mayorkas.
Biden, who is seeking to prevent Trump from securing a second term in office, has ordered an independent investigation. The Homeland Security Department and a congressional committee are also conducting their own inquiries.
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Trump stated in an interview that he had not been informed by law enforcement about any suspicious individuals before he went on stage in Pennsylvania. Some attendees reported seeing the gunman on the roof before Trump’s appearance and had alerted on-site authorities.
In an upcoming interview on Fox News, Trump expressed his belief that there were security lapses and questioned how the gunman gained access to the roof.
Local law enforcement officers had observed the individual and considered him suspicious enough to circulate his photo, while witnesses reported seeing him scaling the building.
