Charly Triballeau / AFP - Getty Images file
Since the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Secret Service has faced intense scrutiny over its failure to secure the rooftop where the gunman set up his sniper position. A retired U.S. Secret Service agent is also questioning why Trump was allowed to take the stage despite a ‘person of interest’ being identified in advance.
As reported by Fox News, former Secret Service agent Mike Matranga posed a critical question on America’s Newsroom, “Why the rush? Why push him on stage? Why not delay? It would have taken nothing to take a tactical pause, assess the situation, locate him, and potentially prevent what we haven’t seen in 43 years.” This statement followed an interview where Kimberly Cheatle, director of the United States Secret Service, revealed that ‘the shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion.’
Matranga described the outcome as a ‘catastrophic failure of communications’ and added, “We’ve known this for decades, that we rely too heavily on our local counterparts to do the jobs that we are designed to do, and so this is a catastrophic failure. The former president deserves better. The individuals who were harmed and the individuals who succumbed to his injuries deserve better.”
According to Fox News, Cheatle told ABC News a few days earlier, “I’m being told that the shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion. Units started responding to seek that individual out. Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president.” Cheatle admitted responsibility for the security breach that led to the Trump assassination attempt, stating, “The buck stops with me. This is an event that should have never happened.”
A bullet penetrated Trump’s right ear during an outdoor event in Butler at approximately 6 p.m. ET. The FBI is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt. Trump is the presumptive GOP presidential contender for 2024. Witnesses described members of Trump’s Secret Service team surrounding him with their bodies, shielding him as they helped the real estate mogul to his vehicle.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman, was killed by a counter-sniper after he fired shots from the top of an adjacent building. The Secret Service reported that one person was murdered, and two others are in serious condition as a result of the shooting at the rally.
Many were shocked by the gunman’s ability to act so brazenly with the Secret Service and other security personnel present. One conservative activist posted on X, “How was a sniper with a full rifle kit allowed to bear crawl onto the closest roof to a presidential nominee?”
House Speaker Mike Johnson also shared on X, “THE HOUSE WILL CONDUCT A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS TODAY. The American people deserve to know the truth. We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP.” The assassination attempt has prompted demands for Cheatle’s resignation, and on Monday, she will appear before the House Oversight Committee.
