The Secret Service’s handling of the Butler, Pennsylvania rally, which culminated in an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, has raised various concerns.
Firefighter Corey Comperatore lost his life in the shooting, and two other Trump supporters sustained injuries (one is still in critical condition.)
According to Townhall, the Secret Service acknowledged on Saturday that they had declined requests for resources from the Trump detail for a period of two years.
This admission follows their previous statement on July 15 claiming that no resource requests had been turned down.
The Secret Service acknowledged on Saturday that it had turned down requests for additional federal resources sought by former President Donald J. Trump’s security detail in the two years leading up to his attempted assassination last week, a reversal from earlier statements by the agency denying that such requests had been rebuffed.
Almost immediately after a gunman shot at Mr. Trump from a nearby warehouse roof while he spoke at a rally in Butler, Pa., last weekend, the Secret Service faced accusations from Republicans and anonymous law enforcement officials that it had turned down requests for additional agents to secure Mr. Trump’s rallies.
“There’s an untrue assertion that a member of the former president’s team requested additional resources and that those were rebuffed,” Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said last Sunday, the day after the shooting.
[…]
On Saturday, Mr. Guglielmi acknowledged that the Secret Service had turned down some requests for additional federal security assets for Mr. Trump’s detail. Two people briefed on the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that the Trump campaign had been seeking additional resources for the better part of the time that Mr. Trump had been out of office. The denied requests for additional resources were not specifically for the rally in Butler, Mr. Guglielmi said.
There’s a problem at hand, as indicated by numerous individuals, including Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL).
Susan Crabtree of RealClearPolitics has reported that resources were allocated to Jill Biden’s visit in Pittsburgh instead of the Butler rally. Additional information from Crabtree has since been released.
🚨🚨EXCLUSIVE: Internal Secret Service Docs Show Only Three Post-Standers Allotted to Trump Rally vs. 12 at Jill Biden's Event
Ahead of Secret Service Director Cheatle's Congressional testimony Monday, Sen. Chuck Grassley presses her for answers in a letter sent yesterday,… pic.twitter.com/CuXkf5nZ2Y
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) July 21, 2024
After claiming to have ramped up security around former President Donald Trump because of an Iranian plot to assassinate him, the Secret Service provided only three agency personnel for “post-standing” Trump’s fateful July 13 Pennsylvania rally, compared to the 12 post-standers that first lady Jill Biden received at a dinner in nearby Pittsburgh that night, according to emails between and among Secret Service personnel obtained by RealClearPolitics.
The Secret Service typically assigns special agents in a candidate’s detail, or “shift” agents in Secret Service lingo, to posts within an inner perimeter of an event. The middle perimeter is then monitored by agents pulled for local Secret Service field offices and assigned as “post-standers” assigned to specific spots and responsible for security specific targeted areas.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is demanding answers and a complete list of security personnel ahead of the House Oversight Committee hearing with Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle.
Grassley expressed shock at reports that only three security personnel were assigned to former President Trump, while 12 were detailed for Jill Biden.
He emphasized the seriousness of the threats against Trump and criticized the allocation of security resources.
Grassley called for immediate upgrades to Trump’s security and suggested that Cheatle should resign.
He also called for accountability and transparency in handling this issue.
ICYMI: Rep. Ron Johnson Unveils Startling Findings in Trump Assassination Probe
