‘Inexcusable’ Failures Led to Trump Assassination Attempt

AFP | Washington

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A congressional inquiry into the attempt to assassinate US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally a year ago yesterday lamented “inexcusable” failures in the Secret Service’s operations and response, and called for more serious disciplinary action.

On July 13, 2024, a gunman shot the then-Republican presidential candidate during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear.

One bystander was killed, and two other people — in addition to Trump — were wounded before a government sniper killed the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

“What happened was inexcusable, and the consequences imposed for the failures so far do not reflect the severity of the situation,” said the report released by the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The dramatic incident energized Trump’s bid to return to the White House, with his campaign using a photo of him bloodied and pumping his fist as he was hurried offstage to woo voters.

The report did not shed new light on the gunman’s motive, which still remains a mystery, but accused the Secret Service of “a cascade of preventable failures that nearly cost President Trump his life.”

“The United States Secret Service failed to act on credible intelligence, failed to coordinate with local law enforcement,” said the committee’s Republican chairman, Rand Paul.

“Despite those failures, no one has been fired,” he added.
“It was a complete breakdown of security.”