Secret Service Admits Turning Down Multiple Trump Campaign Security Requests

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — The Secret Service has acknowledged that it denied some requests for increased security at Donald Trump’s events before the assassination attempt on the former president at a recent campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

A week after the July 13 attack, the agency admitted to turning down some security requests, reversing its initial stance. Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, saw a 20-year-old gunman firing from a rooftop, resulting in Trump’s right ear being wounded, one rallygoer killed, and two others injured.

This revelation comes as a congressional hearing on the matter approaches. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is scheduled to appear before lawmakers to discuss the security failures. Lawmakers are expected to scrutinize the agency’s actions that permitted the assailant to access the rooftop.

Anthony Guglielmi, the chief spokesperson of the Secret Service, provided a detailed statement addressing the situation. “We work in a dynamic threat environment to ensure the safety of our protectees across various events,” he said. Guglielmi noted that while they have a comprehensive strategy, they sometimes rely on state and local law enforcement when specialized units are unavailable.

In cases where Secret Service resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to bolster security, often utilizing local law enforcement to cover specialized functions. However, this approach is now under intense scrutiny following the attack.

Initially, the Secret Service denied reports of rejecting additional security requests. Guglielmi had described such claims as “absolutely false” in a social media post. However, the recent statement contradicted this, admitting that requests were indeed denied.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas referred to the incident as a “failure.” Calls for Cheatle’s resignation have been voiced, though she retains the support of President Joe Biden and Mayorkas. Biden has ordered an independent investigation into the matter alongside Homeland Security and congressional probes.

Trump, speaking to Fox News’ Jesse Waters, expressed his frustration with the security lapses. He noted that no one alerted him to any suspicious individuals before he took the stage. Trump questioned how the gunman accessed the rooftop and criticized the lack of action despite witnesses reporting the suspicious individual to law enforcement.

Witnesses indicated that they had seen the gunman scaling the building and had alerted local police. The subsequent investigation aims to uncover how these warnings failed to prevent the tragedy.