Chief of the Commissioner's Secret Service speaks about the Trump assassination
During a campaign event in Pennsylvania, a 20-year-old managed to fire at Donald Trump. Following the attack, the head of the Secret Service stepped down. The acting chief of the agency has now spoken to the US Senate about the incident.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe criticized the security measures in place on the day of the attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. In a hearing before the Senate committees on Homeland Security and Judiciary, Rowe described it as a "failure on multiple levels." He said that what he saw at the scene in the US state of Pennsylvania "shamed" him. He could not defend the fact that the roof from which the shooter fired was not better secured.
A shooter opened fire at a Trump campaign event on July 13, striking the Republican in the ear. One bystander was killed, and two others were seriously injured. The shooter was killed by security forces. Afterwards, there was heavy criticism of the Secret Service's handling of the situation because the shooter was able to gain access to a roof with a direct view of the stage. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle took responsibility and resigned.
Interim chief Rowe said that insufficient planning time was not a factor in the failure. He stated that other security measures could have enhanced safety at the event. Given the magnitude of the failure, the Secret Service is currently investigating the actions and decisions of the responsible personnel on the day of the attack, Rowe explained. If it is found that protocols were violated, disciplinary action will be taken.
Rowe also sought to dispel rumors circulating online. He regretted that information about the day of the attack was not shared with the US Congress and the public more quickly, saying that this had led to "numerous false and dangerous conspiracy theories."
For instance, the responsible Secret Service sniper did not need permission to shoot the attacker, as it happened within seconds. As of now, neither the Secret Service snipers nor Trump's security detail knew that an armed attacker was on the roof before shots were fired. They only became aware when they heard the shots, Rowe said. Before that, they operated under the assumption that local law enforcement had a suspect in their sights.
The Secret Service director at the time, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned following the attack due to criticism over the agency's handling of the situation. In response to the incident, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe acknowledged a "failure on multiple levels" in the security measures.
