A 21-page whistleblower report about the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Penn., arrived this week from the office of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). The main takeaway is that the U.S. Secret Service is to blame for "failing to prevent it."
Described by Sen. Hawley as "the most stunning breakdown in presidential security since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan," the first attempt on Trump's life this summer was a "catastrophic failure," he says, of not just Secret Service but also the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
"These agencies and their leaders have slow-walked congressional investigations, misled the American people, and shirked responsibility," Hawley's office wrote about how the report came into existence.
"In response, Senator Hawley personally visited the Butler, Pennsylvania rally site to interview whistleblowers, opened up a whistleblower tip line, and encouraged those with relevant information to tell their stories. Since then, many individuals have come forward with information regarding the events of July 13 – from the Secret Service, DHS, and local law enforcement, as well as private citizens."
(Related: Remember when Sen. Hawley went all in for censorship by calling on the National Guard to punish pro-Palestine protesters?)
Secret Service guilty of "negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence"
At the heart of why Trump was shot in his right ear while speaking to the crowd in Butler is the total failure of Secret Service to do its job. Hawley says Secret Service is guilty of "negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence" going back many years.
The following is a more detailed breakdown of what Hawley discovered during his probe:
1) Secret Service's Counter Surveillance Division, which is supposed to perform threat assessments at all event sites, failed to do so at Trump's Butler rally, nor was it even present at the site on July 13.
2) Secret Service personnel rejected multiple offers from local law enforcement partners to deploy drone technology, even after it was discovered that the would-be assassin used a drone to survey the rally site just hours before shooting at Trump.
3) Secret Service's Office of Protective Operations – Manpower specifically told agents deployed to protect Trump at the rally to not request additional security resources because any such requests were to be automatically declined.
4) For some unknown reason, law enforcement personnel decided to abandon the rooftop of the American Glass Research (AGR) Building 6, which allowed Thomas Crooks to perch himself there and aim at Trump.
5) The lead Secret Service agent whose specific job was to coordinate all security at the July 13 Trump rally and address all line-of-sight concerns is incompetent, which resulted in the placement of random items like flags around the Butler stage and catwalk, impairing visibility.
6) Supplemental personnel from DHS, including agents responsible for covering child exploitation cases, were ordered to fill in Secret Service shortages on July 13 even though the "training" they received lasted just two hours and was of "poor quality."
Members of Congress, media corroborate whistleblower testimony
To be sure that these claims hold weight, Hawley ran his findings by a number of executive branch officials, as well as members of Congress and news outlets. Many of them confirmed or corroborated the claims made in Hawley's report.
Hawley believes that the findings highlight the need for immediate, quick, and aggressive oversight action by not only the president but also both houses of Congress.
"Executive branch agencies so far have not denied any of these allegations," Hawley says. "What is more, on July 30, Senator Hawley directly questioned Acting Director Rowe about whistleblower allegations in a hearing jointly held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee."
Hawley discovered even more details beyond what was publicly reported, it turns out. One such detail is the fact that the lead Secret Service agent responsible for the entire Butler event failed a key examination during his or her federal law enforcement training.
"Secret Service intelligence units – teams of Secret Service agents paired with state and local law enforcement to handle reports of suspicious persons – were absent from the Butler rally," Hawley further notes.
"The hospital site where former President Trump received treatment after the shooting was poorly secured, and the hospital site agent could not answer basic questions about site security."
Secret Service, DHS remaining silent about allegations
If the federal government has anything to say in its defense against these allegations, it is choosing not to do so. Thus far, neither DHS nor Secret Service have answered a single one of Hawley's many questions, which include:
1) Who, within either of these two federal agencies, made the decision to deny counter sniper coverage to the rooftop from which Crooks shot at Trump?
2) When will Secret Service or DHS publicly name the lead site agent for the rally and the lead agent for the Butler visit?
3) Did the Acting Secret Service director ever deny resources to the Trump campaign, or Secret Service counter sniper teams, as was reported by the media?
Hawley is taking the lead as far as demanding accountability on Trump's behalf. He wants former Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to officially resign, and he also wants Acting Director Rowe to terminate everyone responsible for the security failures in Butler.
Hawley has spent a lot of time in recent days writing letters to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and others demanding a full investigation into Secret Service's failures to protect Trump.
Whistleblower claims pour in
Concerning the rest of the contents of Hawley's report, you will find a full timeline of events that day as well as a map of the Butler rally site. Hawley also included eight different whistleblower allegations and the dates they were made, including the following:
1) July 19: The Butler rally was treated as a "loose" security event.
2) July 22: Law enforcement abandoned the rooftop because it was too hot.
3) July 25: Secret Service declined drone coverage.
4) August 1: Secret Service's counter surveillance division was not present at Butler rally.
5) August 5: Butler rally site agent was known to be incompetent.
6) August 23: Secret Service headquarters denied Trump additional manpower resources.
7) September 3: DHS agents assigned to Butler rally received inadequate training.
As for the eighth "new" whistleblower allegations, Hawley reported the following three revelations in his report:
1) Lead Secret Service agent for entire Butler visit failed a key exam during federal law enforcement training.
2) Secret Service intelligence units, meaning teams of Secret Service agents paired with state and local law enforcement to handle reports of suspicious persons, were completely absent from Butler rally.
3) The hospital where Trump was sent for treatment was poorly secured.
"Two months have now elapsed since former President Donald J. Trump was nearly assassinated. And the American people still know far too little about why this happened," Hawley writes.
"The Secret Service, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security have not been forthcoming with the American people. Far from it: they have closed ranks, refused to confirm or deny whistleblower allegations, and resisted meaningful oversight. In fact, sources with direct knowledge of Secret Service's own internal investigation have alleged to Senator Hawley that the Department of Homeland Security is leaning on Secret Service not to comply with document requests from Congress."
If you are as committed to the cause as Hawley is, or if you are a whistleblower who knows more, Hawley wants you to email him at [email protected] or call him at (202) 224-6154.
"Whistleblower identities will be protected against disclosure," Hawley says. "All communications are entitled to protection afforded by whistleblower laws."
The latest news about Trump's third attempt at winning the presidency can be found at Trump.news.
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