Former Secret Service agents describe 'apocalyptic security failure' at Trump event
By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square
Former U.S. Secret Service agents and security experts argue the Secret Service’s failure to prevent an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on Saturday was “apocalyptic,” exhibiting a “massive security breach.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, has called for a congressional investigation. Multiple members of Congress are asking how a shooter ever reached a rooftop of a building to fire a shot at Trump, including U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Florida, an Army veteran and counter sniper for the State Department who coordinated protective details for then Vice President Joe Biden, Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush.
The assassination attempt on Trump was “a massive security breach,” Mills told CNN. The distance between the shooter and Trump was roughly 400 to 500 feet, “which is nothing for a shot adjacent to the stage of the president,” he said. “There was no one on that building, … in the building, standing next to the building to ensure there's no access to the building,” he said. If there were, they “could have prevented this shooting.”
In an interview with Fox News, Mills said that the shots fired were the kind that soldiers learn in basic training boot camp and are “requested to make within nine weeks. This is one of the easiest shots.”
He said his job at the State Department involved working with an advanced team to establish a perimeter and “identify areas of threat that you would be able to mitigate … whether it be a building, … a lone tree … a parking lot. … Bottom line is this is massive negligence.”
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi has said agents responded quickly and the agency “added protective resources and technology and capabilities as part of [Trump’s] increased campaign travel.”
Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino questioned this claim, asking on Fox News, “Which ones? You're telling me the best technology you have was deployed and you missed a shooter 130 yards away … and even worse, it's broad daylight on a white roof.”
He asked if there was forward-looking infrared deployed and if there was aerial support like drones and helicopters.
Bongino also pointed out that Trump “knew to duck … and saved his own life. That's just a fact. The evacuation did not go right. The rule with the Secret Service is ‘cover the protectee’ and evacuate. The other rule is ‘maximum to the protectee, minimum to the problem. … Because you don't know that's the only problem. It could be a distraction. There could be another person in the crowd … you could be looking at multiple shooters.”
“The failure here is absolutely catastrophic,” he said, calling on Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle to resign immediately. He said Secret Service “absolutely resolutely 100% failed. This was an apocalyptic security failure. … An uneventful failure is never a success. The fact that Donald Trump didn't die … is no reason for anybody to take some kind of victory lap.”
Former Secret Service agent Jeff James agreed, telling WTAE ABC News the agents on the stage should have moved Trump off sooner because the first shots fired “may have been the precursor in the real attack. There may have been four more gunmen who were going to start opening fire. I would have rather seen him get him into the armored cars and get him out of there more quickly.”
Bill Pickle, a former deputy assistant Secret Service director, told the Wall Street Journal, “The reality is there’s just no excuse for the Secret Service to be unable to provide sufficient resources to cover an open rooftop 100 yards away from the site. And there’s no way he should’ve got those shots off.”
Retired Secret Service agent Donald Mihalek called the failed assassination attempt “historic, drawing parallels to the 1912 shooting of Theodore Roosevelt in Milwaukee,” the Journal reported. “Roosevelt, then a former president who was running for a third term in the White House, was shot while heading to a campaign event. He survived the attempt on his life.”
Erik Prince, who previously provided diplomatic security services, said, “unaccountable bloated bureaucracies continue to fail us as Americans. Donald J. Trump is alive today solely due to a bad wind estimate by an evil would be assassin.”
Prince analyzed the wind at the time of the shot, arguing it was enough to displace the bullet two inches from Trump’s “intended forehead to his ear. DJT [Trump] was not saved by USSS [U.S. Secret Service] brilliance. The fact that USSS allowed a rifle armed shooter within 150 yards to a preplanned event is either malice or massive incompetence.
“Clearly there was adequate uncontrolled dead space for a shooter to move into position and take multiple aimed shots,” he said, adding that one counter sniper “was clearly overwhelmed as his face came off his rifle instead of doing his job to kill the shooter.”
A counter sniper killed the alleged shooter after he shot several rounds, wounding Trump, killing one, and critically wounding two others.
“In my old business of providing Diplomatic Security in two active war zones we were expected to execute the basics, or we would be fired,” Prince said. “Clearly USSS failed at the basics of a secure perimeter and once shots were fired, their extraction was clumsy and left DJT highly exposed to follow on attacks.”
He also expressed no confidence in anyone being held accountable, saying, “That's not the Washington way. Unserious and unworthy people in positions of authority got us to this near disaster.”
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Comment
Body cameras and Monday morning quarterbacks.
Many local law enforcement officers are weary and wary of the "progressive, wimpy, whiny, and boo-whooing" leftists that second guess every decision and detail of enforcing peace and saving the lives of the truly innocent. Quit prosecuting good officers in the heat of the moment, for political posturing. Enforcing the decent laws and keeping the peace is not a clean and sanitary process. Due discretion and "under-the-table understandings" are invaluable for credible agents of all levels of law enforcement. If the mommies and the social workers did their job right, then little Johnny wouldn't face a slight correction upon contact and arrest from peacekeepers, for yet another infraction and disturbance. Then little Johnny also needs to own up for his behavior and change his ways. Many real men have turned the corner. Others have lived a life of lies and self-imposed weakness and evil.
PepsiCo, where she directed and implemented security protocols
"Prior to her appointment, Cheatle served as Senior Director in Global Security at PepsiCo, where she
directed and implemented security protocols for the company’s facilities in North America. Her role
involved developing risk management assessments and risk mitigation strategies." Selected by President Sleepy Joe Biden Obama in August 2022 and confirmed by the Senate.
From soda pop security to United States Secret Service POTUS security... gee, what could go wrong?
question
Was Kim Cheatle the best person for the job? Or was she a random agent on V.P. Biden's detail '09-'07? Then Viola! Kimmie is now the head of the sec. serv. When Biden slid his way into the W.H.. How convenient. Then what was the quality, proficiency, and thoroughness of the SS detail assigned to Donald Trump this summer? If an opposing presidential candidate is limited to his travels and appearances, then that would be beneficial to the current president, and all of his staff. Including the figure-head Sec. Serv. chief Kim Cheatle, for at least another 4 years of mediocre service.
US SS DIRECTOR
It’s a disgusting display of incompetence and carelessness. For a 20 year old amateur to have advanced to his position while the ( supposedly ) most elite security team in the world is on the job??
After what would be considered an eternity of time under surveillance they still allowed A Former President Campaigning for office to take the stage? Come on?? With even a shred of Honor or Integrity anyone in charge would have no other choice but to apologize and resign!! Any active agents working that day in a surveillance capacity should be stationed at a desk or filing office. This wasn’t surprise multiple person attack. THANK GOD! It would have been complete carnage!! The FBI & SS should seriously study the oath they’ve taken and ask if they meet the criteria and are up for the job. How anyone in charge of a complete disaster as this could think they are still the best person for the job should consider how difficult it will be for anyone to trust them. Those allowing them to say have placed themselves on the hook should anything else should happen. This debacle has only shown Unstable people what’s possible.
See Something, Say Something?
The mantra since after 9/11/2001. Time to retire this. A man witnessed the shooter with a rifle and claims he advised law enforcement. This is not on the Secret Service. It is on local LE. All the other should have would haves will not bring back the deceased.