Commissioner, the head of the Secret Service is talking about the Trump assassination.
During a campaign event in Pennsylvania, a 20-year-old managed to fire at Donald Trump. The director of the Secret Service resigned due to the attack. The acting head of the agency testified before the US Senate committees on Homeland Security and Justice.
Acting Director Ronald Rowe criticized the security measures in place on the day of the attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. In testimony before the US Senate committees on Homeland Security and Justice, he 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. A 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.
Acting Director Rowe said that he did not believe that insufficient planning time was a factor in the failure. He said 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 speculation 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. Currently, it is understood that neither the Secret Service snipers nor Trump's security detail knew that an armed attacker was on the roof beforehand. They only became aware when shots were heard. Before that, they operated under the assumption that local law enforcement had a suspect in their sights.
Acting Director Rowe acknowledged the significance of the lapses in security during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. He emphasized that the failure was a result of numerous issues rather than just insufficient planning time. Furthermore, he acknowledged the spread of misinformation, stating that the Secret Service could have been more transparent about the incident to prevent the proliferation of conspiracy theories.
