A Senate committee has found serious security failures by the Secret Service during an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13, 2024. The bipartisan investigation revealed that lapses in communication, training, and security procedures directly contributed to the near-fatal event.
Roll Call reported that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee report, released on September 25, 2024, outlined the breakdowns that occurred before and during the incident, calling for significant reforms within the agency.
The committee's report criticized the Secret Service for failing to coordinate properly with local law enforcement on the day of the rally, which left key areas vulnerable.
The shooter, positioned on the rooftop of the AGR building near the event, was able to fire at Trump with no immediate intervention. The report emphasized that these errors were foreseeable and preventable.
According to the report, the Secret Service failed to act on multiple warnings about a suspicious individual in the area before the shooting.
A sighting of the person using a rangefinder was reported 30 minutes before the attack, and a rooftop alert went unaddressed just two minutes before shots were fired. Despite these red flags, the security team did not halt the rally or remove the former president from the stage.
“There was no clear chain of command on July 13, and the Secret Service had no clear plan for how the AGR building would be covered,” said Committee Chairman Gary Peters. The shooter’s ability to access the rooftop undetected underscored the agency’s lack of coordination in securing all high-risk locations.
In one of the most glaring errors, the committee found that the officer responsible for drone technology at the event had received less than one hour of hands-on training. This inadequate preparation reflected broader issues within the Secret Service, where training for complex protective operations has been a persistent problem.
The Senate report, which was based on 2,800 documents and interviews with 12 individuals, recommended a series of reforms to the Secret Service. Among them was the assignment of a single person to be responsible for planning security at each event, ensuring a clear line of command. The committee also urged the agency to improve its communication with local law enforcement to avoid future security lapses.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, one of the leading voices behind the report, described the situation as “a perfect storm of stunning failure.” He went on to say, “A man died, a former president was almost killed, and it was completely preventable.”
The report’s findings were also met with frustration by Sen. Ron Johnson, who criticized the Secret Service for providing incomplete and contradictory information to the investigation. “They are slow-walking this investigation,” Johnson stated, calling for the committee to issue subpoenas if necessary to obtain the full records.
While the Senate report highlighted management failures, it also sparked a debate over the Secret Service’s budget. Democrats, including Blumenthal, have pushed for a $231 million increase in the agency’s funding, citing the need for more resources to address long-standing communication and training issues. “The Connecticut State Police may have more capable equipment than the Secret Service,” Blumenthal remarked, pointing to the gap in preparedness.
However, Republicans argue that more funding won’t solve the underlying issues. “This is not a resource for money problem. This is a management problem, plain and simple,” said Sen. Johnson. He and others believe the focus should be on reforming the agency’s leadership and internal operations rather than increasing its budget.
Despite the funding disagreements, both parties agree that changes are necessary. “Bad behavior should be corrected,” Blumenthal emphasized, though he maintained that additional funding would be needed to fully address the agency’s shortcomings.
The Senate committee’s investigation revealed that communication problems within the Secret Service are not new.
According to a Senate majority aide, the agency has failed to implement effective plans to address these issues, even after the rally incident nearly resulted in the assassination of a former president. The committee warned that without urgent reforms, the Secret Service may continue to face similar crises in the future.
Sen. Rand Paul was particularly critical of the agency’s handling of the July 13 incident, stating that “Everybody thought this guy was suspicious, and nobody thought to stop the proceeding and remove the former president from the stage.”
Paul, along with other Republicans, attributed the mistakes to human error rather than a lack of resources, suggesting that the agency needs to improve its operational practices.
Several senators have called for a change in leadership within the Secret Service as part of broader reforms. Blumenthal argued that new leadership at the top would be essential to correcting the agency’s trajectory.
“There needs to be, in my opinion, new leadership, beginning at the top,” he said, reflecting the bipartisan concern over the agency’s handling of high-profile events.
The Senate report also highlighted the need for better internal accountability. With ongoing concerns about the agency’s transparency, Sen. Johnson insisted that more aggressive measures, such as subpoenas, may be necessary to ensure the Secret Service provides complete and accurate information in future investigations.
The July 13 incident has raised serious questions about the Secret Service’s capacity to protect high-profile figures, especially in complex environments like public rallies. The Senate committee’s report has prompted calls for sweeping changes within the agency, with the ultimate goal of preventing similar tragedies in the future.
