Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. testified before the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees on July 30, 2024, regarding the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The incident, which occurred on July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulted in Trump being shot in the ear, one attendee killed, and two others injured.Rowe expressed deep shame over the security lapses, stating he ‘cannot defend’ why the roof from which the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired was not secured. He acknowledged that the Secret Service had ‘failed in its mission to protect Trump’ and has since taken steps to prevent similar incidents.FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate also testified, revealing new details about the investigation. The FBI determined that Crooks had extensively researched mass shootings, power plants, and improvised explosive devices online. A social media account linked to Crooks contained approximately 700 comments expressing extreme antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiments.The hearing uncovered significant communication failures between local law enforcement and the Secret Service. A SWAT team member had photographed Crooks before the shooting, but this information was not effectively shared. Neither Secret Service sniper teams nor members of Trump’s security detail were aware of Crooks’ presence on the roof until shots were fired.In response to these failures, Rowe outlined new security measures, including thorough vetting of event site security plans and expanded use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones) at protective sites. The Secret Service has also added six people to its protection list, including Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance and his family.As the investigation continues, former President Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI as a crime victim, with the interview scheduled for Thursday, August 1. The Senate committees and the American public await further insights from this interview and the ongoing investigations into what Senator Gary Peters called an ‘inexcusable security and planning failure’.
Key points
- Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe expressed shame over security lapses in the Trump assassination attempt.
- The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had researched mass shootings online and held antisemitic views.
- New security measures include expanded drone use and enhanced vetting of event sites.
- Former President Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI as a crime victim.
Contradictions👾While most sources agree on the basic facts of the incident, there are slight discrepancies in the reported number of injuries.
Some sources mention two injured, while others don’t specify the exact number.
