Secret Service Missed 102 Warnings Before Attempted Assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania

Nearly two years after the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, a new report by the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General reveals critical failures by the U.S. Secret Service. The agency failed to receive 102 reports about the shooter, Thomas Crooks, who ultimately fired shots at Trump. The report, released on Thursday, states the Secret Service was unaware of local law enforcement radio transmissions about the suspect because it did not establish a joint communications center with local authorities during the event.

Instead, the Secret Service only received five phone calls and three text messages regarding Crooks, resulting in no warnings being issued to Trump's protective detail. The report also uncovered that Crooks flew a drone over the rally area hours before the shooting, but the Secret Service's counter-drone system was inactive. The system was operated by a single untrained individual who failed to check it before the event, and it took hours to fix the malfunction, allowing Crooks to fly the drone undetected for nearly nine minutes.

Crooks was shot and killed by law enforcement at the rally after opening fire while Trump spoke on stage. One bystander was killed and several others injured, including Trump, who was grazed on his right ear. Crooks had climbed onto a nearby roof with a direct line of sight to Trump. The report's recommendations focus on improving information sharing and addressing security vulnerabilities in sightlines at events. The Secret Service agreed with the findings and stated many recommendations have already been implemented as part of ongoing reforms.

This was not the only assassination attempt on Trump. Two months later, the Secret Service shot at an armed individual near Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course. In February, the agency killed a young armed man who breached the security perimeter at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, though Trump and his wife were in Washington at the time. In April, Trump and other officials were evacuated from a White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington after an armed man fired at a Secret Service agent outside the venue but was neutralized before breaching security.

The report highlights significant security lapses by the Secret Service during the 2024 rally and underscores the ongoing threats faced by Trump and the agency's efforts to improve protective measures.