Top U.S. House investigators dropped a bombshell this week, revealing that the July 13th assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania was entirely preventable. According to a preliminary report from a House Task Force, multiple security failures, communication breakdowns, and lack of coordination between state and federal agencies allowed a gunman to get a shot off at Trump during a rally.
The report, relying on expert and witness testimony, paints a picture of stunning incompetence, particularly on the part of the Secret Service. The Task Force highlighted a lack of planning, stating that key details slipped through the cracks due to poor communication between the Secret Service and local law enforcement. “Put simply, the evidence shows the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should not have happened,” the report said.
This wasn’t just some minor slip-up. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to fire eight rounds before being neutralized, with one bullet hitting Trump. How did this happen? The investigation points to a complete failure in communication. For instance, local officers had already spotted Crooks acting suspiciously nearly an hour before the attack—carrying a rangefinder and displaying other odd behaviors. One officer even saw him with a long gun. Yet, somehow, these critical warnings never reached Trump’s Secret Service detail.
Task Force Chair Mike Kelly (R-PA) has already issued subpoenas to local Pennsylvania agencies for sensitive documents related to the case, as they prepare for a more comprehensive final report set to be released this December. Local authorities have already denied claims from former Secret Service leadership about the level of training and preparation, shifting the blame back and forth over who was responsible for securing the rally’s perimeter.
The report reveals more disturbing details: some Secret Service agents assigned to Trump’s protection detail had been borrowed from other agencies and received only a brief webinar as training before the event. No joint planning meetings were held between the Secret Service and state or federal agencies leading up to the rally.
The Task Force is clear: this assassination attempt should have been stopped before it even began. As we wait for the final report in December, one thing is evident: this isn’t just a story of poor communication. It’s a failure of the entire security apparatus, and it nearly cost President Trump his life.
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