Today, House Republicans on the Task Force On The Attempted Assassination of Donald. J. Trump released their interim report “Investigating The Stunning Security Failures On July 13, 2024 In Butler, Pennsylvania.” This bipartisan staff report focuses on evidence from the initial phase of the Task Force's investigation which concentrated on the state and local law enforcement partners who assisted Secret Service at the rally. The report reveals that according to local law enforcement partners, the Secret Service failed to fulfill its primary protective mission due to how the agency: conducted advance planning, defined the secure perimeter, controlled the high ground, mitigated sight lines, established lines of communication, and deployed critical assets.
 
MAKE NO MISTAKE: The Secret Service failed to execute its role as the leader of a team of federal, state, and local partners in Butler, PA. 
 
KEY HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Security Planning Issues: The Secret Service failed to adequately plan and coordinate with state and local law enforcement for a July 13 campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
• Overlooked Risks: The Secret Service did not address security concerns regarding clear lines of sight from the nearby AGR property [Crooks’ firing position]. According to Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant John Herold, the Secret Service did not request assets to be placed at the AGR complex.
• Sniper Teams: Local law enforcement reported that the Secret Service did not give any guidance regarding the placement, role, and responsibilities of their snipers on July 13, and that in the absence of any such guidance, they understood their assignment to be overwatch of the rally venue.
• Communication Failures: There was no unified command post or briefing on July 13, leading to fragmented communication between Secret Service and local law enforcement.
• Escalation Not Relayed Efficiently: Law enforcement observed escalating suspicious behavior from Thomas Matthew Crooks, but key details moved slowly due to fragmented lines of communication and unclear chains of command. There is no evidence, to date, that this information reached President Trump’s detail, and he remained on stage. Crooks was on the roof for six minutes before opening fire. 
• Response: Testimony from local law enforcement indicates that they fired a shot at Crooks prior to the Secret Service sniper firing the kill shot. While the exact order of shots remains unclear, testimony from local law enforcement states that they took a shot in Crooks’ direction, which may have caused Crooks to stop firing.

BOTTOM LINE:
The evidence shows that the various issues—ineffective advance planning, a poorly planned perimeter, and vulnerabilities related to lines of sight and lines of communication—allowed Crooks to move around the AGR property for several hours before climbing onto the roof and firing eight shots at President Trump and the crowd.  
 
WHAT’S NEXT: 
The Task Force will continue to rigorously investigate the July 13 assassination attempt in the coming months. Additionally, the Task Force received expanded jurisdiction through House Resolution 1470 to investigate the attempted assassination of President Trump on September 15, 2024, at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, FL. The Task Force is required to produce its final report to Congress by December 13, 2024.
 
Click HERE for the full report (Courtesy of the Task Force On The Attempted Assassination Of Donald J. Trump Republicans).