One year after Trump assassination attempt, changes at U.S. Secret Service but questions remain
WASHINGTON — In many ways, the assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign stop was a perfect storm of failings coming together that allowed 20-year-old Michael Thomas Crooks to climb on top of a nearby building and take eight shots at the once and future president.
One attendee was killed, two others wounded and a bullet grazed Trump's ear before a Secret Service counter sniper opened fire on Crooks and killed him. That day jolted an already chaotic race for the White House and solidified Trump's iconic status in his party and beyond.
It also became a turning point for the agency tasked with protecting the president. As more details emerged about what went wrong, questions multiplied: What happened to the Secret Service's planning? Why was a rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump left unguarded? What motivated the shooter?
Another incident in September where a gunman camped in the shrubbery outside one of Trump's golf courses before being spotted and shot at by a Secret Service agent also raised questions about the agency's performance.
A year after Butler, multiple investigations have detailed the breakdowns that day. Under a new leader hired by Trump, the agency has been pushing to address those problems but key questions remain.
'This was a wake-up call for the Secret Service,' said retired supervisory agent Bobby McDonald, who's now a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven.
Here's a look at what went wrong, what's been done to address problems and the questions still unanswered.
How'd he get on that roof? Who was talking to who?
All the investigations zeroed in on a few specific problems.
The building with a clear sight line to the stage where the president was speaking only 135 meters (157 yards) away was left unguarded. Crooks eventually boosted himself up there and fired eight shots with an AR-style rifle.
The Secret Service's investigation into its own agency's conduct said that it wasn't that the line-of-sight risks weren't known about ahead of time. It was that multiple personnel assessed them as 'acceptable.'
Supervisors had expected large pieces of farm equipment would be situated to block the view from the building. Those ultimately weren't placed, and staffers who visited the site before the rally didn't tell their supervisors that the line-of-sight concerns hadn't been addressed, the report said.
Another glaring problem: fragmented communications between the Secret Service and the local law enforcement that the agency regularly relies on to secure events.
Instead of having one unified command post with representatives from every agency providing security in the same room, there were two command posts at the rally. One investigation described a 'chaotic mixture' of radio, cell phone, text, and email used to communicate that day.
'Ensure such an event can never be repeated'
The Secret Service issued a report Thursday about what it has done to address problems laid bare at Butler.
'Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future,' said Sean Curran, whom Trump tasked with leading the agency. Curran was one of the agents standing next to Trump as he was hustled off the stage after the shooting.
The agency said it had implemented 21 of the 46 recommendations made by Congressional oversight bodies. The rest were either in progress or not up to the agency to implement.
Some of what they've done involves new equipment and a greater emphasis on addressing threats from above. They've created a new Aviation Division to oversee aerial operations like drones. The agency said it has two armored ATVs for use on golf courses and is producing another three. And they're purchasing mobile command vehicles that will be pre-positioned around the country.
But much of what the agency says it has done is about changing policies and procedures to address those July 13 lapses — things like revising their manual to 'advance procedures and communication practices' when it comes to coordinating with local law enforcement or clarifying who's responsible for events where protectees are appearing.
They've updated their procedures about documenting line-of-sight concerns and how those concerns are going to be addressed.
So far it doesn't appear that anyone has been or will be fired, although the agency's director at the time, Kim Cheatle, swiftly resigned. The agency said Thursday that six staffers have been disciplined with suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days without pay; the six were placed on restricted duty or nonoperational positions. Their identities and positions were not released.
What we still don't know
In many ways Crooks and his motivations are still a mystery.
He was killed by a Secret Service countersniper and did not leave much information about why he did what he did. Investigators say they believe he acted alone and they didn't find any threatening comments or ideological positions on social media that shed light on his thinking.
And while it's clear what went wrong in Butler, questions linger about how things that were so clearly problematic — like that open roof — weren't addressed ahead of time.
Anthony Cangelosi, a former Secret Service agent who is now a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that without being able to read the interviews with the agents involved in the Butler planning it's hard to know exactly why they did what they did. A year later, he still struggles with how so many things went wrong.
'I can't understand how many errors were made on that site that day,' he said. 'If they agreed to leave that roof unoccupied, I can't ... understand it for the life of me.'
The widow of Corey Comperatore, who died during the Butler assassination attempt, echoed some of that sentiment during an interview with Fox News this week.
'Why was that such a failure? Why weren't they paying attention? Why did they think that that roof didn't need covered? I want to sit down and talk to them,' Helen Comperatore said.
Cangelosi said he still questions whether the agency asked for additional personnel to cover a busy election year and if they did, whether those requests were granted. He thinks the Secret Service needs better pay to retain agents tempted to leave the agency for other federal government jobs.
McDonald said he suspects part of the problem ahead of the Butler rally was that the Secret Service might have had a hard time understanding that the type of protection Trump needed wasn't the same as for other former presidents.
He said it 'boggles the mind' how Crooks was able to get on that roof and said that 'communication' and 'complacency' are the two issues that he thinks really went wrong in Butler.
But he also said that he feels the agency is moving in the right direction. 'A lot of good people doing a lot good work there,' he said, 'and I hope they continue to move in the right direction.'
Rebecca Santana, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
a few seconds ago
- Toronto Star
Thailand and Cambodia to deploy ceasefire monitors despite deadlock over captured soldiers
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to establish interim observer teams to monitor a fragile ceasefire that ended five days of of deadly armed border clashes, even as the fate of 18 Cambodian soldiers captured by Thailand remains unresolved. The first meeting of the General Border Committee concluded after four days of talks in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, with a focus on ensuring the full implementation of the ceasefire brokered by Malaysia on July 28.
Winnipeg Free Press
a few seconds ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Thailand and Cambodia to deploy ceasefire monitors despite deadlock over captured soldiers
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to establish interim observer teams to monitor a fragile ceasefire that ended five days of of deadly armed border clashes, even as the fate of 18 Cambodian soldiers captured by Thailand remains unresolved. The first meeting of the General Border Committee concluded after four days of talks in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, with a focus on ensuring the full implementation of the ceasefire brokered by Malaysia on July 28. Dozens of people were killed and over 260,000 displaced on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border, when fighting began after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. According to a joint statement from the committee, each country will set up its own interim observer team comprising defense officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and coordinated by the bloc's annual chair Malaysia, pending the deployment of a formal ASEAN observer mission. The interim teams will operate within their respective borders and work closely with local military authorities. The main meeting Thursday was chaired by Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Seiha and Thailand's Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Natthaphon Nakpanit. Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, along with representatives from the U.S. and China, attended as observers. U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan said after the meeting that the outcome was an important milestone. 'The U.S. believes this is an important step. However it's important to recognize this is only a step. The goal here is a durable sustainable ceasefire, one that is able to be accepted and enforced by both sides,' he told reporters. He said the U.S. would work closely with Malaysia and ASEAN to monitor the truce. The July 28 ceasefire followed economic pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had warned the warring nations that the U.S. would not conclude trade deals with them if the fighting persisted. Washington lowered tariffs on goods from the two countries from 36% to 19% on Aug. 1. However, tensions persisted as each country accused the other of violating the agreements and organized tours of the former battle areas for foreign diplomats and other observers to highlight damage allegedly caused by the other side. The two countries also continued to accuse each other of having violated international humanitarian laws with attacks on civilians and the use of illegal weapons. While both sides reaffirmed commitments to halt hostilities, freeze troop movement and avoid provocations, the issue of the 18 Cambodian soldiers captured just hours after the ceasefire took effect remains a sticking point. The joint statement did not directly mention them but it noted that the captives should be 'immediately released and repatriated after the cessation of active hostilities.' It didn't clarify iwhether this refers to a formal end to the conflict. Cambodia had accused Thailand of mistreating the captured men. Two wounded members of the 20-man Cambodian group were repatriated on Friday. Thai authorities, however, called the group 'prisoners of war' and said they would only be freed and repatriated following an end to the conflict. The Thai foreign ministry said in a separate statement Thursday that the 18 prisoners have been treated in full compliance with international humanitarian law. It said members of the International Committee of the Red Cross had visited them on Tuesday at their detention facility, and that the men were in good health and without any injury. Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800-kilometer (500-mile) border. Tensions had been growing since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. _______ Associated Press reporter Grant Peck in Bangkok and Sopheng Cheang in Cambodia contributed to this report.
CTV News
a few seconds ago
- CTV News
Trump's broad tariffs go into effect, just as economic pain is surfacing
A customer shops a grain isle at New India Bazar, where most merchandise is imported from India and Canada, on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Fremont, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump began levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thursday, just as the economic fallout of his monthslong tariff threats has begun to create visible damage for the U.S. economy. Just after midnight, goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union became subject to tariff rates of 10 per cent or higher. Products from the EU, Japan and South Korea are taxed at 15 per cent, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh are taxed at 20 per cent. Trump also expects the EU, Japan and South Korea to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. 'I think the growth is going to be unprecedented,' Trump said Wednesday afternoon. He added that the U.S. was 'taking in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs,' but he couldn't provide a specific figure for revenues because 'we don't even know what the final number is' regarding tariff rates. Despite the uncertainty, the Trump White House is confident that the onset of his broad tariffs will provide clarity about the path of the world's largest economy. Now that companies understand the direction the U.S. is headed, the administration believes they can ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance the U.S. economy as a manufacturing power. But so far, there are signs of self-inflicted wounds to America as companies and consumers alike brace for the impact of new taxes. What the data has shown is a U.S. economy that changed in April with Trump's initial rollout of tariffs, an event that led to market drama, a negotiating period and Trump's ultimate decision to start his universal tariffs on Thursday. Risk of economic erosion Economic reports show that hiring began to stall, inflationary pressures crept upward and home values in key markets started to decline after April, said John Silvia, CEO of Dynamic Economic Strategy. 'A less productive economy requires fewer workers,' Silvia said in an analysis note. 'But there is more, the higher tariff prices lower workers' real wages. The economy has become less productive, and firms cannot pay the same real wages as before. Actions have consequences.' Even then, the ultimate transformations of the tariffs are unknown and could play out over months, if not years. Many economists say the risk is that the American economy is steadily eroded rather than collapsing instantly. 'We all want it to be made for television where it's this explosion — it's not like that,' said Brad Jensen, a professor at Georgetown University. 'It's going to be fine sand in the gears and slow things down.' Trump has promoted the tariffs as a way to reduce the persistent trade deficit. But importers sought to avoid the taxes by importing more goods before the taxes went into effect. As a result, the US$582.7 billion trade imbalance for the first half of the year was 38 per cent higher than in 2024. Total construction spending has dropped 2.9 per cent over the past year. Dismay in India and Switzerland The lead-up to Thursday fit the slapdash nature of Trump's tariffs, which have been variously rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and frantically renegotiated. The process has been so muddled that officials for key trade partners were unclear at the start of the week whether the tariffs would begin Thursday or Friday. The language of the July 31 order to delay the start of tariffs from Aug. 1 only said the higher tax rates would start in seven days. Trump on Wednesday announced additional 25 per cent tariffs to be imposed on India for its buying of Russian oil, bringing its total import taxes to 50 per cent. A top body of Indian exporters said Thursday the latest U.S. tariffs will impact nearly 55 per cent of the country's outbound shipments to America and force exporters to lose their long-standing clients. 'Absorbing this sudden cost escalation is simply not viable. Margins are already thin,' S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations, said in a statement. The Swiss executive branch, the Federal Council, was expected to hold an extraordinary meeting Thursday afternoon after President Karin Keller-Sutter and other top Swiss officials returned from a hastily arranged trip to Washington in a failed bid to avert steep 39 per cent U.S. tariffs on Swiss goods. Import taxes are still coming on pharmaceutical drugs and Trump announced 100 per cent tariffs on computer chips. That could leave the U.S. economy in a place of suspended animation as it awaits the impact. Stock market remains solid The president's use of a 1977 law to declare an economic emergency to impose the tariffs is also under challenge. The impending ruling from last week's hearing before a U.S. appeals court could cause Trump to find other legal justifications if judges say he exceeded his authority. Even people who worked with Trump during his first term are skeptical that things will go smoothly for the economy, such as Paul Ryan, the former Republican House speaker, who has emerged as a Trump critic. 'There's no sort of rationale for this other than the president wanting to raise tariffs based upon his whims, his opinions,' Ryan told CNBC on Wednesday. 'I think choppy waters are ahead because I think they're going to have some legal challenges.' Still, the stock market has been solid during the recent tariff drama, with the S&P 500 index climbing more than 25 per cent from its April low. The market's rebound and the income tax cuts in Trump's tax and spending measures signed into law on July 4 have given the White House confidence that economic growth is bound to accelerate in the coming months. As of now, Trump still foresees an economic boom while the rest of the world and American voters wait nervously. 'There's one person who can afford to be cavalier about the uncertainty that he's creating, and that's Donald Trump,' said Rachel West, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation who worked in the Biden White House on labor policy. 'The rest of Americans are already paying the price for that uncertainty.' Josh Boak, The Associated Press
