Secret Service Admits Denying Some Security Requests from Trump Campaign
The Secret Service has admitted that it turned down some requests for increased security at Donald Trump’s campaign events in the years prior to the recent assassination attempt on him. This revelation comes after the agency initially denied rejecting such requests.
The Secret Service’s change in stance follows a week after the assassination attempt on July 13, and is likely to be a major focus of Monday’s congressional hearing. Lawmakers have been expressing frustration over security breaches that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to climb onto the roof of a nearby building during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and open fire.
Trump sustained an injury to his right ear, one rally attendee was killed, and two others were injured. The gunman was shot and killed by Secret Service agents.
“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,” the agency’s chief spokesperson, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement released late Saturday to The Washington Post. The newspaper was first to report on the agency’s reversal, which it said was based on detailed questions submitted to the agency.
“We execute a comprehensive and layered strategy to balance personnel, technology, and specialized operational needs,” Guglielmi said.
He said the agency will rely on state and local law enforcement departments in some cases where specialized Secret Service units are unavailable.
“In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protectee,” Gugliemi said. “This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protectee.”
Following the assassination attempt, as reports emerged that the agency had denied the Trump campaign’s requests, Guglielmi issued a denial.
There is “an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed,” 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.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has described the incident as a “failure,” while numerous lawmakers have called for Cheatle’s resignation or termination. The Secret Service has maintained that Cheatle has no intention of stepping down and, for the time being, she retains the support of Democratic President Joe Biden and Mayorkas.
However, the agency’s admission that it had denied some of the campaign’s requests has sparked further condemnation on Sunday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated on CNN’s “State of the Union, that the acknowledgement “is just beyond the pale.” Regarding Cheatle, he said, “She’s got a lot to answer for.”
Johnson said lawmakers would disclose details about a bipartisan congressional task force that will investigate the Secret Service on Monday.
Trump’s son, Eric Trump, asserted that Cheatle should resign in “absolute disgrace.”
“The fact that she is still in her job is beyond,” he said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,”
Biden, who is campaigning to prevent Trump from securing a second term in the White House, has directed an independent investigation. The Homeland Security Department and congressional committee are also conducting investigations.
Trump claims he was not informed that law enforcement had identified a suspicious individual when he took to the stage in Pennsylvania. Several rallygoers, in post-assassination attempt interviews, have stated that they saw the gunman on the roof prior to Trump’s appearance and had alerted law enforcement personnel on site.
In an interview with Fox News host Jesse Waters, set to air on Monday, Trump said, “No, nobody mentioned it, nobody said there was a problem” before he took the stage and a gunman opened fire. “They could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 5 minutes, something.’ Nobody said. I think that was a mistake.”
Trump also questioned the security lapses and how the gunman was able to access the roof of the building.
“How did somebody get on that roof? And why wasn’t he reported? Because people saw that he was on the roof,” Trump said. “So you would’ve thought someone would’ve done something about it.”
Local law enforcement officers had observed the man and considered him sufficiently suspicious to circulate his photo. Witnesses reported seeing him climbing the building.
Trump’s campaign and the White House did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.