Staff Reports
Looks like the clowns in the Secret Service are at it again. Once more, they’ve showcased their stunning talent for bungling a job that’s supposed to involve, you know, protecting the President of the United States. This time, they almost let the most significant figure in conservative politics, former President Donald Trump, become target practice for a deranged shooter, all thanks to a tree and some confused tactics.
During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Secret Service snipers were tasked with keeping Trump safe. But according to recent reports, one sniper team’s view was blocked by a tree, giving the shooter, Thomas Crooks, the perfect cover to unleash mayhem on the crowd. One would think the Secret Service might have considered something as elementary as line-of-sight while setting their positions, but evidently, that was too complex of a concept.
I just got off a briefing with the Secret Service and FBI. I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage.
I have no confidence in the leadership of Director Cheatle and believe it is in the best interest of our…
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) July 17, 2024
The sniper team behind Trump, who did their job and took down Crooks with a single shot, had initially been directed elsewhere. Because of this initial misdirection, they had to hastily reorient themselves, proving once again that the Secret Service can be as coordinated as a herd of cats on caffeine.
Local rally-goers even attempted to alert the authorities about Crooks being on the rooftop with a rifle moments before shots rang out. It’s difficult to believe that the Secret Service, with all their expensive gadgets and supposed expertise, needed ordinary citizens to do their job for them. But unsurprisingly, the warnings were too little, too late.
To add to the spectacle of incompetence, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming confirmed that Crooks had been on the law enforcement radar over an hour before the shooting took place. He was spotted with suspicious items like a rangefinder and a backpack. And yet, somehow, law enforcement managed to lose track of him completely. Perhaps they were too busy admiring the fall foliage from their obscured vantage points.
Public confidence in Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle seems to have plummeted faster than a lead balloon, with calls for her resignation growing louder. If Americans wanted to feel secure, this utter display of failure didn’t help. Barrasso’s pointed criticism of Cheatle’s leadership highlights the need for a serious shakeup in the agency supposed to be keeping high-profile figures safe.
In the grand scheme of things, this disaster is another stark reminder of the need for competence and vigilance. The Secret Service needs to regain the public’s trust, and quickly, because the stakes are too high to keep repeating these dangerous blunders. With President Trump and the nation’s safety on the line, there’s no room for amateur hour.
