Despite high security measures, an assassin fired several shots at Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president and designated Republican candidate was only slightly hit in the right ear. This incident has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the Secret Service, which is responsible for the protection of senior political figures in the United States.
The shooting has evoked memories of the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, who was severely injured just weeks after taking office. In contrast, Trump was speaking at an official event, which was extensively secured with snipers and strict controls over who could approach the former head of state. Despite these measures, the agents were unable to protect him from the shots, leading to heavy criticism.
Blake Hall, a former US Army sniper team leader, pointed out significant vulnerabilities in the security plan. He noted that the shooter attacked Trump from approximately 130 yards away, a distance that should have been covered by the snipers. Hall criticized the snipers' use of long guns, which limited their ability to act quickly within 300 meters.
The incident also resulted in the death of one innocent person and injuries to two others. Eyewitnesses claimed to have seen the shooter on the roof before the shots were fired and alerted the police. This has led to further criticism of the local police's failure to secure obvious shooting positions and the lack of drone surveillance.
Former Obama adviser Julius van de Laar stressed that the Secret Service would have to answer many questions about the security lapses. Special Agent Kevin Rojek, head of the FBI field office in Pittsburgh, mentioned that the former president's team had not requested additional security measures, which had been rejected.
James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, has subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle for a hearing on July 22. Comer had already launched an investigation into the Secret Service's recruitment and training processes, citing national security risks and weaknesses within the agency.
In response to the incident, the Secret Service has denied claims that additional security resources were requested and refused. Spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi stated that they had actually added means of protection as part of the increased pace of campaign travel. Despite this, witnesses reported seeing the shooter before the attack and alerting the police, who have not provided further details.
- The investigation into the attack is still in its early stages, and not much is known about the shooter, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks. The Secret Service's response to the incident will be closely scrutinized in the coming days and weeks.
- Conspiracy theories have already emerged, with some Twitter users accusing Trump's team of staging the attack to gain an advantage in the election campaign against Biden. However, former military personnel have explained that the snipers' quick response was due to their familiarity with their rifles and the pre-set distances from the roofs.
