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The Star
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
US Senate report faults Secret Service discipline after Trump shooting
FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is assisted by the Secret Service after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo (Reuters) -A U.S. Senate report released on Sunday said a "cascade" of failures allowed a gunman to shoot at Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year and faulted Secret Service discipline including the lack of firings in the wake of the attack. The report, released a year after a 20-year-old gunman opened fire on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear, accused the Secret Service of a pattern of negligence and communications breakdowns in planning and execution of the rally. "This was not a single error. It was a cascade of preventable failures that nearly cost President Trump his life," the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee report said. The Secret Service is charged with protecting current and former presidents and their families, as well visiting foreign leaders and some other senior officials. One attendee of the July 13, 2014, rally was killed and two others were injured in the shooting. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was subsequently shot to death by Secret Service agents. "This was not a single lapse in judgment. It was a complete breakdown of security at every level — fueled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act on direct threats," the committee's Republican chairman, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, said in a statement. Kimberly Cheatle resigned as the director of the Secret Service 10 days after the shooting, amid harsh scrutiny of the agency's role, and six Secret Service agents on duty during the attempt received suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days, the agency said on Thursday. The committee said more than six officials should have been punished, and that two of those who were disciplined received lighter punishments than it had recommended. It highlighted the fact that no one was fired. Current Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement that the agency has received the report and will continue to cooperate with the committee. "Following the events of July 13, the Secret Service took a serious look at our operations and implemented substantive reforms to address the failures that occurred that day," Curran said. (Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Scott Malone and Chizu Nomiyama )
Newsweek
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Butler Reflects a Year After Trump Assassination Attempt: 'God Intervened'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. One year after a gunman came within a quarter inch of assassinating Donald Trump at a campaign rally, thrusting the tiny town of Butler into the international spotlight, many residents here in that western Pennsylvania town and its surrounding county are looking to forge ahead. Last July 13, just six minutes into Trump's speech to 15,000 fervent fans on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight shots from an assault rifle while atop the roof of American Glass Research, some 150 yards away. A Secret Service counter-sniper quickly eliminated the threat with one round just 15 seconds after the initial shot, but Crooks' gunfire struck four people, including Trump. Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter and father of two, was fatally wounded as he shielded his family, while two others, David Dutch, 58, and James Copenhaver, 74, were seriously hurt. Butler is poised and ready to move beyond the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last July, Pennsylvania residents and the city's mayor told Newsweek. Butler is poised and ready to move beyond the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last July, Pennsylvania residents and the city's mayor told Newsweek. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/AP/Canva Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy said the "shock and sorrow" of that early Saturday evening still reverberates for many in the town of 13,000 residents, as well as 193,000 throughout Butler County, but he believes the region is ready to reclaim its identity. "The people who were assembled were exercising the most fundamental of our basis rights: the right to assemble and the right to free speech," Dandoy told Newsweek. "The attack on them was an attack on all of us and an attempt to stifle those rights." Dandoy said Butler and the other municipalities that make up the greater Pittsburgh metro area continue to remember those directly affected by Crooks, including Comperatore, whose memorial motorcycle ride on Saturday attracted more than 1,000 participants. Still, Butler's future cannot remain mired in its bloody recent past, Dandoy said. "In the days and weeks that followed, the people of Butler showed remarkable unity, strength and care," Dandoy said. "In the days following the incident, I sensed a desire to move forward and far beyond the events of that day. As with the rest of the country, there is much we do not agree upon politically. However, I sense a desire among our residents to try to function beyond the differences and build on our communities. We do not allow that moment to define us." Donald Trump is escorted off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, after being wounded by a would-be assassin on July 13, 2024. Donald Trump is escorted off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, after being wounded by a would-be assassin on July 13, 2024. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File Values like mutual respect and a commitment to civil discourse along with the "safety and well-being of everyone who calls Butler home" should be common goals, he added. "We started that journey immediately after the shooting and I believe we continue to make progress in moving forward." Susan Norman, 75, of West Sunbury in Butler County, nearly missed last July's speech due to heat exhaustion. She arrived with her son and his girlfriend at 7 a.m. — a full 11 hours before Trump took the stage — but caught history unfold from a fence along the perimeter. "We heard the shots," Norman told Newsweek Friday, standing outside the 100-acre Butler Farm Show property. "We saw him fall and from our angle, we didn't know if they killed him or what." From her vantage point, Norman said the bulk of rallygoers froze in place as Secret Service agents ushered Trump offstage, but not before raising his fist and yelling to the crowd what has since become the iconic moment from that day: "Fight, fight, fight!" Trump, who was unaware if additional threats existed, told Secret Service agents to wait prior to rushing him from the stage, yelling to the crowd, "Fight, fight, fight!" Trump, who was unaware if additional threats existed, told Secret Service agents to wait prior to rushing him from the stage, yelling to the crowd, "Fight, fight, fight!" AP Photo/Evan Vucci Norman, a devout Christian, credited divine intervention for Trump's survival. "I believe our country was going to hell in a handbasket," she said. "I truthfully believe that God intervened and saved his life to use him a vessel to save our country." In retrospect, Norman said she was surprised she was even able to watch Trump from a chain-link fence along the perimeter prior to Crooks squeezing the trigger — noting the various security lapses that day which led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and another six agents receiving 10- to 42-day suspensions without pay. "We were so close to the bleachers and I said to my son, 'I'm surprised that no one's come over here and questioned why we're standing here,'" Norman recalled. "We just went to our car. I could've had rifles in my car and carried them up here to the fence. So, I did question that at the time and that was before he got shot." 'We Failed' Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi gave a blunt assessment when asked by Newsweek for a response to Trump's recent blunt evaluation that the "very talented, very capable" agents unequivocally had a "bad day" in Butler. "We failed on July 13, 2024," Guglielmi said. "Every day since, we have worked tirelessly to ensure that such a tragedy can never happen again. We've made significant investments in our people, processes, and technology, and we have embraced oversight as a necessary force for reform — reform that is making us a stronger, more resilient agency." Sean Curran, who replaced Cheatle in late January, noted he was by Trump's side when Crooks forever upended U.S. politics amid a bitter, volatile campaign. Read more Memorial motorcycle ride honors Trump rally victim Corey Comperatore Memorial motorcycle ride honors Trump rally victim Corey Comperatore "My heart will always be with all those impacted on that day, especially Corey Comperatore, who lost his life while protecting those around him," Curran said in a statement. "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." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also praised Comperatore for "selflessly" protecting his family when tragedy unfolded. "President Trump will never forget Corey and his beautiful family," Leavitt said in a statement. "On that dark day, God spared President Trump's life by a miraculous millimeter. Now one year later, President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to 'fight, fight, fight' for the American people." 'Stronger Than Ever' Representative Mike Kelly, the congressman whose district encompasses Butler County, chaired a congressional task force that investigated the attempted assassination. He called for continued prayers for the families of Comperatore, Dutch and Copenhaver, as well as the president. "In the wake of tragedy, the Butler community remains united and stronger than ever," the Pittsburgh-born Republican told Newsweek in a statement. Comperatore's widow, Helen, wipes a tear from her face as opera singer Christopher Macchio performed at the Butler Farm Show during Trump's subsequent return to the site on October 5, 2024. Comperatore's widow, Helen, wipes a tear from her face as opera singer Christopher Macchio performed at the Butler Farm Show during Trump's subsequent return to the site on October 5, 2024. AP Photo/Evan Vucci The task force issued 25 specific recommendations related to issues that directly led to security failures in Butler, as well as 11 general pieces of guidance correlated to leadership, training and agency resources. "I continue to work with director Curran and the agency as my colleagues in Congress and I put these recommendations into action," Kelly said. "Like many in the Butler community, I still have questions about everything that led up to, and unfolded on, July 13. May we continue to pursue the truth to get the American people the answers they deserve." Firm, Not Fearful Chet Jack, 66, vividly remembers the July 13 rally. As a member of the Pennsylvania and Butler County Republican committees, he had VIP access and recruited 20 volunteers to help organizers for what was supposed to be a typical pre-convention campaign rally in the dead of summer. "We arrived there early in the morning," Jack told Newsweek. "Hot, hot, hot. Some of the folks were working in the parking lots, some were working intake and that type of thing. Despite the heat and miserable weather, the crowd was very enthusiastic, very happy. Music was playing; you know, people dancing. Everyone was really jazzed about getting the opportunity to see then-candidate Trump." Jack recalls how that mood instantly vanished as Crooks unleashed his assault. Comperatore, who was mortally wounded, was roughly 30 feet away from him in the bleachers. "It could've been anyone," Jack said. "The shots were being randomly taken. They hit Corey, they hit a couple guys that were across the way and hit Trump's ear." Many people in the bleachers near the stage immediately ducked down or sought cover, but Jack was among those to stand up in an attempt to see who fired the shots and point them out to law enforcement. Miraculously, mass panic didn't erupt, Jack said, something Trump himself noted in his convention speech a week later when he said "nobody ran and, by not stampeding, many lives were knew I was in very serious trouble." "Almost to a person, they all remained standing, as if they were in vigil," he recalled. "I'm now convinced that there was something divine there, that kept the rest of those people safe by not stampeding and many of us not feeling fear. I can't come up with any other explanation than that."
Newsweek
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
How Trump's Near-Assassination Was Downplayed and Memory-Holed in the Media
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A year after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, some political commentators are arguing the incident was minimized by the media, while marveling at how quickly the near-murder of the former and future American president has faded from public consciousness. On the eve of the 2024 Republican National Convention, a gunman opened fire on Trump from a rooftop near the Butler fairgrounds, grazing Trump's ear, killing a local firefighter, Corey Comperatore, and injuring two others. While the attack could have been a galvanizing national moment, some media critics say it was instead overshadowed by election coverage, partisan concerns, and editorial decisions meant to avoid amplifying Trump's near-death experience. This week, Veteran political journalist Mark Halperin, on his Next Up podcast, called the muted response "one of the best ways to understand what we're still going through as a country." In a conversation with Journalist Salena Zito, ahead of the release of her book 'Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland,' Halperin highlighted what he saw as a stark disconnect between how the media treated Trump's shooting and how it might have covered similar attacks on Democratic leaders. This aerial photo of the Butler Farm Show, site of the Saturday, July 13, 2024 Trump campaign rally, shown Monday, July 15, 2024 in Butler, Pa. This aerial photo of the Butler Farm Show, site of the Saturday, July 13, 2024 Trump campaign rally, shown Monday, July 15, 2024 in Butler, Pa. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar "The left, the people who do not like Donald Trump, did not treat his attempted assassination the way they would have if it had been Barack Obama or Joe Biden," Halperin said, describing what he saw as an "extraordinary failure" to confront the shooter's motive or scrutinize the security breakdown. Footage and investigations have since raised more questions about how the would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks, was able to position himself with a clear line of sight toward the presumptive Republican candidate for president. But as a cascade of security failures have come to light, public attention has waned. Conservative commentator Drew Holden wrote in The Spectator that the effort to downplay the shooting "started moments after the shots rang out," with networks using vague language like "loud noises" and "popping sounds" to describe the scene — even after the Associated Press confirmed Trump had indeed been hit by live fire. Holden noted that within weeks, coverage in major outlets dropped off dramatically, comparing it unfavorably to the media's treatment of the January 6 Capitol riot. "Just a couple of months before the 2024 election, I think the press was afraid of adding fuel to the Trump campaign, especially since some polling at the time showed the assassination attempt had boosted his popularity," Holden told Newsweek about his findings. 'Abandoned Coverage' Halperin and Holden have both sharply criticized the way media outlets covered — and then quickly abandoned — the story of Trump's near-assassination, framing it as a revealing moment about U.S. politics and journalism. On his podcast, Halperin argued that the muted response reflected deep-seated hostility to Trump from mainstream institutions, which failed to interrogate the story the way they would have if the target were a Democrat. He cited examples of commentators and anchors — including Martha Raddatz of ABC News and Margaret Brennan of CBS News — who quickly pivoted to blaming Trump's own rhetoric rather than focusing on the attack itself. 'Can you imagine that? Someone tries to kill the president, former president, front runner, and between the government and the media, it is an absolute mystery…'@markhalperin reflects back on how the media and the Left blamed TRUMP for Butler assassination attempt – and… — Next Up with Mark Halperin (@NextUpHalperin) July 8, 2025 "You see in the immediate aftermath of the near-death of Donald Trump, people wanting to hold him accountable for his own near murder. It's kind of incredible," Halperin said. He also criticized commentators who cast doubt on the seriousness of Trump's injuries, including MSNBC's Michael Steele, the former Republican operative turned fierce Trump critic who speculated on-air whether the ear wound was caused by glass instead of a bullet. JUST IN - YOUR REACTION: Former RNC Chair Michael Steele Demands Answers, Says, 'If Trump Was Shot with a High-Caliber Bullet, There Should Be Very Little Ear There,' Asks, 'Where is the Medical Report from the Hospital or Campaign?' Suggests a Cover-Up. WATCH — Simon Ateba (@simonateba) July 17, 2024 "Even a week after he'd been shot and the doctors had spoken out, you heard all this skepticism from the left," Halperin noted. Holden highlighted the media's coverage of the shooting in a detailed X thread, posting screenshots of early headlines from USA Today, NBC News, CNN and the Los Angeles Times that downplayed the attack as "popping noises" or an "incident." He also pointed out that some in the media, including Joy Reid, formerly of MSNBC, and Raddatz of ABC, blamed Trump's own rhetoric for the shooting, even in the hours immediately afterward. It was a trend that, as Holden noted, continued even after the second attempt on Trump's life was thwarted last September. Joy Reid of MSNBC is now suggesting that Donald Trump was never hit by a bullet, and that his campaign and the Secret Service colluded to kill two people in a fake assassination attempt just so Trump could have a photo op. Outrageous. Insane. Defamatory. NBC must take Reid off… — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 18, 2024 ABC's Martha Raddatz's seething hate is all apparent in her haggard face. Here she is blaming Trump for the assassination attempt on his life using the 'bloodbath' hoax. — John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte (@NolteNC) July 14, 2024 NBC's Lester Holt: "Today's apparent assassination attempt comes amid increasingly fierce rhetoric on the campaign trail. Mr. Trump, his running mate JD Vance continue to make baseless claims about Haitian immigrants" in Springfield, Ohio, resulting in bomb threats. — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 15, 2024 On X, Holden highlighted coverage from networks like CBS, which questioned whether Trump "really needed all that bandaging on his ear" when he spoke days later at the Republican National Convention to formally accept the party's nomination. Trump didn't require stitches on his ear because it was a scratch, not a gaping bullet wound. So the wad of gauze was slapped on his ear for dramatic effect, as suspected. — Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) July 20, 2024 Coverage in the print press also quickly dwindled, despite a flood of questions about Crooks' motives and background and the security failures on behalf of Secret Service and local law enforcement. Holden pointed to New Yorker columnist Jay Caspian Kang, who observed that just three days after the shooting "there were no stories about the shooting in the top slots on the websites of the New York Times, the Washington Post, or the Wall Street Journal." By late August, he said, the coverage had all but ceased. "The shooting happened less than a month after Biden stepped aside as the nominee following his disastrous debate performance. The last thing the press wanted was to make that worse," Holden told Newsweek. The Butler assassination attempt came in the midst of a summer that many commentators across the political spectrum have acknowledged as the wildest few weeks in modern American politics. In the days that followed, Trump picked his running mate, JD Vance, while President Joe Biden — already reeling from the fallout from his debate performance weeks earlier — announced he was stepping aside as the Democratic nominee and endorsed his running mate to lead the ticket. Trump would be reelected 15 weeks later.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bethel Park returning to normalcy, following resident's involvement in Trump rally shooting
More than 40 miles from the attempted assassination of then-candidate and former President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show grounds, a quiet street in Bethel Park was thrust into the international spotlight. Thomas Matthew Crooks lived on Milford Drive. Hours after the shooting, law enforcement and media from all over the world set up camp in the neighborhood. 'A candidate I liked and voted for? To find out your neighbor was part of that was very surreal,' one neighbor told Channel 11. 'We expected our lives would never be back to normal, and the neighborhood would be one circus,' another said. Despite those initial thoughts, the neighborhood is mostly back to what it was. Neighbors say the Crooks family doesn't leave their home. 'We have not seen the Crooks family out, which is normal,' one said. The quiet doesn't mean they aren't thinking about what happened last July and Crooks' role in it. 'When it happened, we were scared. To be honest with you, I think most of us are still scared.' The fear, one neighbor says, is based on the unknown. 'That's the exact thing. There is definitely more to know. Why don't we?' she said. 'Super frustrating. You're telling me they don't know about a 20-year-old kid that went out and attempted this?' another said. They hope the investigation continues and questions are answered. 'It'll be weird after the one-year mark. I can't say we'll feel less fear, but until we get answers, that underlying thing will always be there.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Six Secret Service agents suspended for Trump assassination attempt at Butler rally
Six US Secret Service agents face suspension. This is due to security failures during an assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. The incident happened during a campaign rally. A firefighter died, and two others were injured. An independent review reveals significant law enforcement breakdowns. The Secret Service Director resigned after the attack. Six Secret Service agents have been suspended for failures connected to the attempted assassination Donald Trump Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Six US Secret Service agents have been suspended for failures connected to the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The disciplinary actions, confirmed just days before the first anniversary of the attempted assassination occurred as Trump began speaking at the Butler Farm Show grounds. The gunman, identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks , opened fire, grazing Trump's Comperatore, a firefighter attending the rally, died in the attack. Two other attendees were seriously injured. Secret Service countersnipers on-site killed Crooks within moments of the independent review by the Department of Homeland Security later found significant law enforcement breakdowns that left Trump vulnerable. The report concluded that the Secret Service "does not perform at the elite levels needed to discharge its critical mission," citing bureaucratic stagnation and complacency despite evolving risks and six suspended agents, whose roles ranged from supervisory to line agent level, received penalties of 10 to 42 days of unpaid leave. The disciplinary measures were issued in recent months and the agents have the right to appeal the Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn defended the agency's decision not to terminate any personnel, stating, "We aren't going to fire our way out of this. We're going to focus on the root cause and fix the deficiencies that put us in that situation." He emphasized that the Secret Service is "totally accountable for Butler," and highlighted new measures, including the introduction of military-grade drones and improved communication systems with local law enforcement, to prevent similar failures in the fallout from the Butler incident was swift at the highest levels. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned just 10 days after the attack amid bipartisan calls for attempted assassination in Butler was followed by a second apparent attempt on Trump's life just nine weeks later while he was golfing in Florida, prompting the Secret Service to grant him presidential-level security and overhaul event planning investigation into the Butler attack, led by the FBI and Department of Justice, continues to examine both the shooter's motives and the systemic lapses that allowed the attack to occur.
