A preliminary report by top House investigators has revealed that the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump back on July 13th could have easily been avoided. This shocking finding is based on testimony from experts and witnesses who highlighted multiple failures in security that day. It turns out that a mix of poor communication and inadequate planning between state and federal agencies created a perfect storm that enabled the gunman to take a shot at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to the report, it was “stunning” how the Secret Service dropped the ball. The investigation found that there was a shocking lack of preparation, and communication lines were as tangled as a bowl of spaghetti left on the kitchen counter. The task force made clear that the events of that day were not only tragic but also entirely preventable. In plain terms, the breakdown led to a potentially fatal encounter that should have never been allowed to happen.
Explosive House Report Shatters Secret Service’s Narrative From First Trump Shootinghttps://t.co/gIGQkOaGCm
— Mia (@miabrown80) October 21, 2024
Republican Task Force Chair Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania has taken things a step further by issuing subpoenas to local agencies for documents related to this embarrassing affair. Despite local authorities refuting claims from former Secret Service leadership regarding their training and readiness, the report casts doubt on the capabilities of those tasked with keeping Trump safe. It was revealed that members of Trump’s detail had been hastily borrowed from other federal agencies and received little more preparation than a quick webinar before being thrown into the event.
The investigation further highlighted that just minutes before the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire, communication between the Secret Service and other agencies fell apart. Vital information lagged due to “fragmented” communication and an unclear chain of command. To add insult to injury, it appears there was no joint meeting scheduled between the Secret Service and its counterparts on that fateful day. This lack of coordination is almost like having a plan to build a house but forgetting to order the lumber.
As events unfolded, the evidence shows that agents lost critical time due to poor communication about the shooter. Local police officers spotted Crooks behaving suspiciously, including using a rangefinder, around 5 p.m., but the information didn’t reach the Command post until nearly an hour later. It seems like the agents were playing a game of telephone, but instead of passing along a funny family story, they were letting a potential assassin slip through the cracks.
Witnesses painting a clear picture of the chaos added to the report’s emphasis on the Secret Service’s failures. An officer at the scene claimed he was among the first to see Crooks with a long gun and immediately tried to relay that information to his colleagues. Unfortunately for Trump, that message never got through to the counter-snipers in time. Crooks managed to fire over eight rounds before being neutralized. It’s a classic case of putting all your eggs in one basket and then forgetting the basket even exists. If only the Secret Service had been more proactive, the whole ordeal could have been avoided, proving once again that sometimes, the biggest threat comes from within.