Staff Reports
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas practically admitted the blunders of his department by confirming that the gunman who assaulted former President Donald Trump on Saturday had a “direct line” of sight. Talk about dropping the ball. This incredible oversight during Trump’s rally should have never been allowed to happen, yet here we are, dissecting the incompetence.
Mayorkas, showing up on ABC News’s Good Morning America, suggested that such a gaffe “should not occur” – well, no kidding, Sherlock. President Biden, in his infinite wisdom, directed an independent review of this monumental failure. Perhaps an independent review to figure out why Mayorkas still has a job is also overdue, considering his track record.
this BBC interview with a guy outside the security perimeter who claims he saw the shooter before he fired is absolutely wild pic.twitter.com/vJpKZTxSAe
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 13, 2024
For those who may have forgotten (or tried to), this is the same guy who was impeached by the House earlier this year for his top-tier mishandling of the southern border. With years of record-high illegal immigration under his belt, one might think the Department of Homeland Security, which also oversees the Secret Service, would be a bit more on their toes during an event of this magnitude. Instead, it’s more of the same chaos under his watch.
this BBC interview with a guy outside the security perimeter who claims he saw the shooter before he fired is absolutely wild pic.twitter.com/vJpKZTxSAe
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 13, 2024
Predictably, Republicans and the Trump-aligned America First Legal group are calling for a comprehensive investigation into how the Secret Service prepped for this rally and their response during the attack. It’s no surprise—under this administration, one mismanagement disaster seems to follow another. Right now, they’re probably scrambling to figure out how everything went so wrong.
Mayorkas is pledging to “learn everything about the assailant,” indicating the assailant was “bravely neutralized” by the Secret Service. Bravo to the Secret Service for their quick action; they clearly need to keep picking up the slack left by DHS leadership. He mentioned the intention to study the event independently, make recommendations, and ensure future safety – something one would assume was already part of their job. Nice to see him getting caught up on his responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the FBI has taken the lead in the investigation, perhaps because someone in charge needs to figure out how a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks managed to position himself on a building rooftop with a rifle in Butler, Pennsylvania, without so much as a peep from local enforcement. Witnesses reported seeing this genius crawling on a nearby roof and even attempted to flag down authorities, yet somehow, the danger wasn’t noticed until shots were fired.
It’s almost as if those in charge were napping while the rally’s security risks skyrocketed. When will the bumbling end? One unnamed witness reported by the BBC claims that Secret Service agents reacted swiftly and decisively, taking out the shooter in typical head-on fashion. However, one can’t help but marvel at how Crooks managed to get a clear shot at all.
It’s becoming increasingly clear: the days of competent security planning at critical events are long gone in the clouded bureaucracy of DHS. Maybe it’s time for some serious housecleaning and a return to accountability.
