The Secret Service admits failures in Butler, Pa., Trump shooting

The Secret Service acknowledged Friday failures that led to a gunman being able to wound former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13.

“It’s important that we hold ourselves to account for the failures of July 13 and that we use the lessons learned to make sure that we do not have another failure like this again,” Ronald Rowe, the acting director of the Secret Service, told reporters.

Rowe said that one of the failures was that the Secret Service deferred too much to local law enforcement on securing buildings near the rally and didn’t provide clear guidance. This allowed the shooter to climb onto the roof of a nearby building and shoot at the former president, he said.

“We need to be clear with our state and local partners on what we’re asking of them,” Rowe said.

Row cited “complacency” from other agents, as well as over-reliance on mobile devices and flaws in advance planning. He said employees would be held accountable, declined to give details, but reiterated that contrary to media reports, he did not ask for anyone to resign.

Rowe said the former president has had “robust security,” more robust than any former president has ever received, since he left office. That security was increased to a presidential level after the July 13 shooting.

The Secret Service has come under scrutiny since July, when a gunman fired multiple shots at Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, at the Butler rally, striking Trump’s ear, killing one attendee and wounding two others. The gunman was killed. Then, two months later, a second alleged gunman was able to make it within several hundred yards of Trump at his West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course. He did not shoot at Trump, nor did he have the former president in his sights. The suspect was apprehended.

Rowe said that based on information he had about the second incident, "I’d say that situation was managed according to our training.” That included the young Secret Service agent taking swift action, reporting shots he fired at the gunman, and communicating via radio.

Still, the attempts have prompted Lowe and other Secret Service personnel to ask Congress for more resources, arguing the agency is limited on personnel and equipment. President Biden has also urged Congress to provide more resources.

On Friday, the House unanimously approved a bill that would direct the Secret Service to give the same protection as the current president and vice president. Lawmakers also increased the scope of a bipartisan taskforce that is investigating the first assassination attempt to also investigate the apparent second attempt. The group of bipartisan House members is expected to file their own report in December.