Sep 20, 2024 - Politics & Policy
How the Secret Service failed
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The Secret Service and local law enforcement often were not on the same page during the July 13 rally where a would-be assassin fired at former President Trump, the agency said today.
- In a summary of its internal investigation into the assassination attempt, the Secret Service said those communications breakdowns — both before and during the rally — are the reason the attacker was able to get close enough to fire at Trump.
🔎 Zoom in: Some local agencies were apparently coordinating with one another more than with the Secret Service, the report says, which led to a lack of follow-up even after some officials questioned the way snipers were positioned.
- Secret Service agents "were not apprised of how focused state and local law enforcement were in the minutes leading up to the attack on locating the suspicious subject" — otherwise, they might have been able to get Trump off the stage before shots were fired.
