Director of the Secret Service expresses regret over security breach leading to attempted assassination of Trump
The acting director of the US Secret Service has expressed his shame over the security lapse prior to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
Ronald Rowe Jr testified before a congressional hearing that he visited the site in Butler, Pennsylvania, and lay on the roof from where the shots were fired.
“What I witnessed made me feel ashamed. As a law enforcement officer and a 25-year veteran of the Secret Service, I cannot justify why that roof was not better secured,” he stated.
He further elaborated that a local law enforcement officer had climbed onto the roof and spotted the suspect with a rifle just 30 seconds before the shots were fired.
Although the motive behind the assassination attempt is still unclear, the FBI has identified a social media account believed to be linked to the shooter.
Paul Abbate, deputy director of the FBI, disclosed: “There were over 700 comments posted from this account.
“If these comments are indeed linked to the shooter, they seem to promote antisemitic and anti-immigration ideologies, advocating for political violence and are considered extreme in nature,” he added.
Read more:
Trump to be interviewed by FBI after assassination attempt
How the security operation unfolded
How a large tree may have shielded the gunman
The body of Thomas Crooks is seen on a roof after the assassination attempt
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Trump shooting: Bodycam from roof
One man was shot dead and two other people were left seriously injured when 20-year-old Thomas Crooks opened fire on the former president, wounding his ear.
Senator Richard Durbin questioned Mr. Rowe Jr and former Secret Service director Kimberley Cheatle during the congressional hearing: “We’ve all seen the movies… the international assassin with sophisticated technology, elaborate plans, well-honed skills, who sets out to kill a leading figure in the United States.
“But how does that match the reality… when a 20-year-old introverted college student outsmarted one of the most sophisticated American law enforcement agencies in history and came within an inch of killing a former president of the United States?” he inquired.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
How Trump attack unfolded
Ms. Cheatle, who described this as “the most significant operational failure in decades,” resigned as Secret Service director last week.
Both witnesses reassured members of Congress that measures had been implemented to enhance security, especially at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.
Mr. Rowe Jr affirmed: “To prevent similar lapses in the future, I have instructed our personnel to ensure that every event site security plan is thoroughly reviewed by multiple experienced supervisors before implementation.
“It is evident to me that additional protective measures could have improved our security at the event.
“Therefore, I have ordered the increased use of unmanned aerial systems and security at sites to detect threats on roofs and other elevated areas.”
