At least five US Secret Service agents have been placed on modified duty, also known as administrative leave, in connection with the investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in July. The agents, including the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office and three others, were assigned to the office responsible for the security planning ahead of the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the attempt occurred. One of the agents was part of Mr. Trump‘s protective detail.
The agents are currently unable to perform investigative or protective work, and it is unclear how long the modified duty will last. The move comes as multiple investigations are ongoing to examine the security failures that allowed a man with an AR-style rifle to get close enough to shoot and injure Mr. Trump, who was struck in the ear but avoided serious injury. One spectator was killed and two others were injured in the shooting.
The Secret Service’s failures have been widely criticized, with the agency’s former director, Kim Cheatle, acknowledging at a congressional hearing that the Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting. Mrs. Cheatle also revealed that the roof from which Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who fired the shot, had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally.
Donald Trump (Image via Getty)
Acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe Jr, who succeeded Ms. Cheatle, has expressed frustration with the agency’s failures, stating that he “cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.” The incident has led to widespread criticism of the Secret Service’s handling of security and has raised questions about the agency’s preparedness and ability to protect the President and other high-profile individuals.
The Secret Service has a reputation for being a highly effective and professional law enforcement agency, and the agency’s failures in this case have been deeply disturbing. The fact that the roof, which was identified as a potential vulnerability, was not better secured and that the alleged shooter was able to get so close to the President is a stark reminder that even the most seemingly secure environments can be vulnerable to attack.
In the coming weeks and months, it will be important to learn the full extent of the Secret Service’s failures and to identify the steps that will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The public has a right to know that its law enforcement agencies are doing everything possible to protect its leaders and citizens, and the Secret Service’s failures in this case have highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability.
