Acting Director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe testified Thursday, unveiling the “numerous changes” the agency has implemented following the attempted assassination of President-elect Trump in July in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“July 13 was a failure by the Secret Service to adequately secure the Butler Farm Show site and protect President-elect Trump,” Rowe told the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump on Thursday.
“That stunning failure underscored the critical gaps in Secret Service operations, and I recognize that we fell short of the expectations that the American public, Congress and our proteges rightly have for the Secret Service,” he said.
Rowe said he worked after the assassination attempt to: “understand what went wrong on the day of the assassination attempt; to ensure accountability; and to prevent such a failure from ever happening again.”
The Secret Service knew that airspace protection would end when the former president was on stage
Acting Director of the United States Secret Service Ronald Rowe Jr. testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees on Capitol Hill on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Rowe told the working group that the advance was in preparation for the Butler Farm Show visit “categorically fell short of the standard expected of this agency.”
The acting Secret Service director’s comments about the preparation came after signs of trouble at the ill-fated July meeting were evident before Trump took the stage.
Law enforcement officers had a report of a suspicious man — later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks — pacing the roof and authorities exchanged photos of the suspects minutes before Trump took the stage. Rallygoers also pointed and shouted after spotting the armed man on a nearby roof before the shots rang out.
The roof where Crooks was waiting was estimated to be 450 feet away Trump was speaking.
The security deficit at the agency tasked with keeping American leaders safe left confidence at an all-time low after Trump’s first assassination attempt. In the fallout, former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheattle resigned.
New drone footage shows Trump gunman opening fire in line of sight during a rally (Fox News)
Rowe provided the task force with a laundry list of specific areas the agency is working to remedy the event starting July 13 — and prevent another assassination attempt.
- Providing the highest level of Secret Service protection to Vice President Harris and President-elect Trump for the remainder of the campaign, consistent with the level of protection provided to the President.
- Increasing the workforce of Special agents assigned to former and now President-elect Trump’s protective detail.
- Expanding the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for aerial surveillance at sites.
- Expanding the use of unmanned aerial systems technologies to reduce the use of a UAS as a kinetic attack vector.
- Promote radio interoperability by requiring the co-location of Secret Service personnel with state and local public safety counterparts at unified command posts and ensuring appropriate oversight.
- Deploying Secret Service and Department of Defense personnel to assist in the development of radio communications networks, with redundancies, at Secret Service-protected campaign locations.
SECRET SERVICE, FBI RESPOND TO TRUMP RALLY VIDEO WITH NUMBERS ON ROOF MINUTES BEFORE GUNfire
- Implementing agreements with federal partners to support Secret Service protective operations when agency personnel and resources are temporarily deployed for other protective visits.
- Expanding Secret Service tactical coverage, supplemented by other federal tactical units, to support protective operations for the Vice President, former and now President-elect Trump, and others.
- Expanding the use of ballistic countermeasures at Secret Service-protected campaign sites.
- Expanding the use of technical countermeasures and technologies to enhance the security of former and now newly elected President Trump and his hometown.
- To realign agency technology programs with appropriate operational entities within the Secret Service, with the goal of effectively leveraging internal research and development of emerging technologies.
Rowe noted that the agency has also taken disciplinary action against officers involved in the July 13 events. He said he “cannot comment further on specific disciplinary actions that are underway or being considered.”
Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, left, and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, right, testify before a hearing of the Senate Joint Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Judiciary Committee on shortcomings security investigations that led to the assassination attempt on the Republican president. candidate and former President Trump, on Tuesday, July 30, in Washington. (AP/Kevin Wolf)
The acting director outlined his goals for the future.
“My goal is to improve the effectiveness of our mission and rebuild public trust. “One of the most significant systemic changes was the directive to require a unified command in a single location for all protective sites, something that was not happening in Butler on July 13,” Rowe said. said. “This co-location enhances our communication and intelligence sharing mechanisms with state, local and federal partners anticipate better threats and respond to them more quickly.”
“Going forward, I have directed the Office of Protective Operations to develop a continuous evaluation and audit capability to regularly review our prior procedures and protocols and identify areas of weakness,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Rowe noted that he is also prioritizing mental health and wellness programs for staff, saying he understands that “the stress and pressure of work can impact decision-making and overall performance.”
“While I cannot undo the damage that has been done, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that the Secret Service never experiences a failure like this again,” he said.
