Trump assassination attempt blamed on 'preventable' Secret Service errors, report says

A scathing Senate report attributes the Trump assassination attempt to Secret Service errors: an agent failed to broadcast a warning, and a counter-sniper didn't report a suspicious person or receive a long-range threat briefing.

 

Preventable Secret Service failures nearly led to President Trump's assassination at a Pennsylvania rally last year, a Senate committee reported Sunday.

The Republican-led Senate Homeland Security Committee found that Secret Service planning, communication, and coordination failures allowed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to climb onto a rooftop and open fire at a July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“It is a miracle that President Trump survived,” said Senator Rand Paul, the committee’s chairman. “What happened was inexcusable, and the consequences imposed so far do not reflect the severity of the situation.”

The Senate report states a Secret Service agent failed to broadcast a warning, preventing it from reaching Trump’s protective detail, according to Bloomberg News.

At the Butler rally, a counter-sniper wasn't briefed on long-range threats and didn't report a suspicious person, assuming another agent would.

“I’m not the only one that’s observing that area,” the sniper told investigators. “Someone else could’ve also put out the radio call.”

Crooks fired eight shots, killing firefighter Corey Comperatore and wounding two others before a Secret Service sniper killed him within seconds. His motive for the attack remains unclear as of writing.

Twenty-five minutes before Crooks fired toward Trump, a suspicious man with a rangefinder was reported outside the rally.

Just minutes before the assassination attempt, a police officer confronted the gunman. Crooks then fired eight shots at Trump, killing a local firefighter and injuring two more.

With blood on the side of his face, Trump got to his feet seconds later. He reached with his right hand, and pumped his fist in the air, mouthing the word “Fight” several times.

Supporters in the crowd cheered and chanted: “USA. USA. USA.” Trump’s motorcade left the venue moments later. 

Trump credits turning from the crowd to look at a screen for saving him from death, a rare action for him.

The Secret Service suspended six agents on the ground that day for up to 42 days without pay.

The committee probe, with 17 interviews and over 75,000 pages of documents, revealed repeated security requests were denied or unfulfilled in the months leading to the Butler rally.

Agents avoided further requests, believing headquarters would deny them, the report states.

The attack represents the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, jolting the 2024 presidential campaign.

Crooks, a registered Republican, donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project in 2021. His motive for the shooting remains unclear.

Alex Dhaliwal

Journalist and Writer

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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COMMENTS

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  • Fran G
    commented 2025-08-02 15:11:31 -0400
    Trump is by no means perfect, and I dont like all the things he is doing, BUT, I believe he is doing many wonderful things not only for US but also the rest of the world. Kamala Harris would have been even more evil than Biden. Canadians have to get rid of marxist carnage.
  • Wayne Currie
    commented 2025-07-17 00:03:33 -0400
    Six agents were suspended 42 days without pay. Were these the worst of those who failed in their duty to protect the president? If so, they should not only have been fired but investigated as well.
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-07-15 19:29:27 -0400
    Democrats had a hand in this, I feel. They were so desperate to prevent Trump from winning. I believe this because of all the leftist bewailing of his win last November. I also know that leftists have no scruples. Assassination is just one tool to help them win. It’s their atheistic world view which makes them believe they can do even the most deplorable deeds if it helps them establish socialism worldwide. What a nightmare that would be for all concerned if leftists do enslave the world.