In a startling revelation, unreleased police radio transmissions have exposed significant lapses by the Secret Service during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The incident, which occurred at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, highlighted critical communication failures and operational shortcomings that left Trump's security detail vulnerable.
On July 13, Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old assailant, infiltrated the rally with an AR-15-style rifle. Despite being flagged as suspicious earlier in the day, Crooks managed to position himself on a rooftop near the event, from where he fired shots that narrowly missed Trump but tragically killed an attendee. The aftermath of the incident has been marred by revelations of miscommunication and inefficiency within the security apparatus.
At around 5:42 PM on the day of the rally, a local counter sniper attempted to relay an urgent message to Secret Service agents through the police radio. The message highlighted the presence of a suspicious individual, described as a young white male with long hair, seen using a rangefinder near the AGR building. However, due to a lack of coordination and open communication channels, the message failed to reach the Secret Service in time. Instead, it was conveyed to a local commander who then had to use his personal cell phone to inform state troopers, causing a critical delay.
The delay proved fatal. For 29 minutes, local police searched in vain for Crooks, who had managed to climb onto a building's rooftop undetected. By 6:11 PM, he opened fire as Trump addressed the crowd, catching the Secret Service off guard. Transcripts of the radio communications revealed that the warning about Crooks' presence with a weapon was relayed just 30 seconds before the shooting began, but the Secret Service never received the crucial information.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, in a press conference following the incident, acknowledged the failures but refrained from assigning blame to specific individuals. "There was somebody who did, in fact, radio out that they had seen the individual with a weapon," Rowe confirmed. He attributed the communication breakdown to the stressful situation and the high volume of radio traffic on the day, exacerbated by numerous medical emergencies due to the heat.
Rowe detailed the chaotic sequence of events, explaining that Secret Service agents were operating under outdated information and were unaware of the imminent threat posed by Crooks. The absence of a direct communication line between local police and the Secret Service created a dangerous gap in the security protocol. The acting director emphasized the need for improved communication and coordination to prevent such incidents in the future.
Criticism of the Secret Service has been mounting since the assassination attempt. The agency's inability to maintain open lines of communication and the reliance on personal cell phones for critical updates have been particularly scrutinized. The situation has drawn comparisons to previous high-profile security lapses and has raised questions about the agency's preparedness to protect key political figures.
The revelations have also led to calls for accountability. During the press conference, Rowe was asked if any firings or disciplinary actions were imminent. He responded that while no one had been fired yet, the agency would provide a statement to assure the public that appropriate measures were being taken. He also announced that all major political figures, including Trump, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance, would now have Secret Service sniper teams at their events.
Further compounding the controversy, a whistleblower alleged that Rowe had directed cuts to the agency's Counter Surveillance Division, which is responsible for assessing event sites. Rowe denied the allegations, asserting that the division continued to support high-profile events and would remain an integral part of the security strategy.
