Following Butler Incident Anniversary: Exploration of Lopsided Pursuit for Accountability within the Secret Service Post Near-Assassination Event
In the wake of a near-assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, the Secret Service has taken significant steps to address the security lapses and ensure accountability.
An independent review by the Department of Homeland Security found a series of law enforcement breakdowns that created security vulnerabilities, leaving Trump exposed to a would-be assassin. The review concluded that the Secret Service was not performing at the elite levels required for its mission and had become bureaucratic, complacent, and static despite increasing risks and evolving technology.
The security failures included poor preparation of the rally site, inadequate communication, and lack of coordination with local law enforcement. These failures resulted in the death of a firefighter and injuries to others, as a gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to open fire, tragically grazing Trump's ear.
Six Secret Service agents directly involved in the Butler rally's security were suspended without pay for durations ranging from 10 to 42 days. The suspensions covered personnel from both supervisory and line agent levels. These agents were placed on restricted duty or assigned to less operationally critical roles after their suspensions, and they have the right to appeal their discipline.
Secret Service officials acknowledged the incident as an operational failure for which the Secret Service is fully accountable. However, they emphasized the agency's approach of focusing on root cause analysis and systemic improvements rather than firing personnel as the primary solution.
In response to the failures, the Secret Service introduced new operational capabilities, such as a fleet of military-grade drones and mobile command posts, enhancing communication interoperability with local law enforcement, which had been lacking at the time of the Butler rally. The incident, coupled with a second assassination attempt months later in Florida, led to enhanced presidential-level security for Trump during his campaign events.
Under the leadership of Sean Curran, the Secret Service has made a priority of pushing for more recruits, seeing a 200% increase in applications to join in the first few months of 2025 compared to the previous year during the same period. The Secret Service has also established a new policy to clarify lines of accountability and responsibility for protective operations.
The Secret Service is still evaluating and implementing changes based on reviews of the security lapses during the near assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Despite the intense scrutiny in the immediate aftermath, the Secret Service now faces less intense scrutiny, though a significant loss of institutional knowledge and expertise has occurred due to a number of high-ranking officials leaving.
The majority of those who have faced any kind of discipline are from the Pittsburgh field office. One former senior agency official stated that the failures at the Butler rally had nothing to do with resources or intelligence, but rather communication and execution issues. The Secret Service has set up a dedicated branch for drone support and established more streamlined communication protocols with local officers, initiatives that were set up under Acting Director Ronald Rowe.
Sources: [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/secret-service-faces-scrutiny-after-trump-rally-shooting-2024-07-14/ [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/15/secret-service-faces-scrutiny-after-trump-rally-shooting/ [3] https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/politics/secret-service-trump-rally-shooting/index.html [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/14/us/politics/secret-service-trump-rally-shooting.html
In light of the Department of Homeland Security's independent review highlighting the bureaucratic and complacent state of the Secret Service, there has been a shift in focus towards politics and general news, with increased scrutiny on the agency's performance in crime-and-justice matters. The review underscores the need for systemic improvements and accountability within the Secret Service following the near-assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
