Former President Survives Assassination Attempt Amid 'Stunning Security Failures': Shocking Report Exposes Preventable Tragedy
Paul Riverbank, 10/21/2024Report exposes security failures enabling assassination attempt on Trump during Pennsylvania rally, sparking outrage.
-- A scathing House report has unveiled a series of "stunning security failures" that enabled the unthinkable: an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The interim findings, released on Monday, paint a damning picture of fragmented communication, unclear chains of command, and a startling lack of coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies -- failures that ultimately allowed a would-be assassin to slip through the cracks and open fire on the former president.
As the report bluntly states, "Put simply, the evidence obtained by the Task Force to date shows the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should not have happened." These words resonate with a chilling finality, a stark indictment of the security lapses that nearly cost Trump his life on that fateful day.
The details are harrowing. Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old gunman, had been under scrutiny by state and local authorities for nearly 40 minutes before any information about his suspicious behavior reached the Secret Service command post. "Although the findings in this report are preliminary, the information obtained during the first phase of the Task Force's investigation clearly shows a lack of planning and coordination between the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners before the rally," the report emphasizes.
Local law enforcement officers had independently noted Crooks' suspicious demeanor and movements as early as 5 p.m. Yet, the fragmented lines of communication between agencies allowed this critical information to languish, never reaching the Secret Service detail assigned to protect the former president. As one witness from the Butler Township Police Department chillingly recalled, their colleague spotted Crooks on the rooftop just moments before the gunfire erupted, shouting, "THERE'S AN AR! AN AR! AN AR! A GUY WITH AN AR!" -- a warning that tragically fell on deaf ears.
The report delves further into the chaos, quoting a witness from the Butler County Emergency Services United who claimed to have fired the fatal shot that felled Crooks. "He fired a single shot from a standing position at Crooks, who was in a prone position on the roof. Butler ESU Witness 5 told the Task Force that he believes his shot hit Crooks," the report states, seemingly contradicting the Secret Service's assertion that one of its snipers neutralized the threat.
Logistical issues further compounded the security risks. There were two separate command centers established for the event, with the Butler Police Department reportedly never invited to the Secret Service's hub. Moreover, a sniper from the Butler ESU advised a Secret Service agent to retrieve a radio communication device to maintain contact with local authorities -- a recommendation that went unheeded.
The report paints a picture of disorganization and lack of cohesion, with local law enforcement left in the dark about the Secret Service's plans and responsibilities. "Local law enforcement told the Task Force that the Secret Service did not give any guidance to Butler ESU and Beaver ESU regarding the placement, role, and responsibilities of their snipers... they understood their assignment to be overwatch of the rally venue," the report notes.
As the investigation continues, with a final report expected by December 13, the revelations thus far have sparked outrage and calls for accountability. The Task Force's mandate is clear: to uncover the truth, identify the systemic failures that enabled this preventable tragedy, and propose legislative reforms to ensure such a lapse never occurs again.
For now, the chilling words of the report echo like a clarion call: "The evidence obtained by the Task Force to date shows the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should not have happened." A nation grapples with the realization that a former president's life hung in the balance, imperiled not by a foreign adversary or a nefarious plot, but by the very systems designed to protect him -- failures that must be rectified if the sanctity of democracy is to be preserved.
