US Senate report criticizes Secret Service discipline after Trump shooting

(Patria) - A US Senate report released Sunday stated that a "cascade" of failures allowed an armed attacker to shoot at Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year, and that Secret Service discipline was undermined, including a lack of shooting after the attack, Reuters reported.

The report, released a year after a twenty-year-old armed attacker opened fire on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear, accused the Secret Service of a pattern of negligence and communication breakdowns in the planning and execution of the rally.

"This was not a single mistake. It was a series of preventable failures that nearly cost President Trump his life," the report from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs stated. The Secret Service is responsible for protecting current and former presidents and their families, as well as visiting foreign leaders and some other high-ranking officials.

One attendee at the rally on July 13, 2024, was killed, and two were injured in the shooting. The armed attacker, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was subsequently killed by Secret Service agents.

"This was not an individual assessment failure. It was a complete security breakdown at every level – fueled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act on direct threats," Committee Chairman, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, said in a statement.

Kimberly Cheatle resigned as Director of the Secret Service ten days after the shooting, amid intense scrutiny of the agency's role, and six agents on duty during the assassination attempt received suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days, the agency announced on Thursday.

The committee stated that more than six officials should have been disciplined, and that two of those who were disciplined received lighter penalties than recommended. The fact that no one was fired was highlighted.

Current Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement that the agency had received the report and would continue to cooperate with the committee.

"Following the events of July 13, the Secret Service has seriously reviewed our operations and implemented substantive reforms to address the failures that occurred that day," Curran said.