Trump rally shooting review finds 'deep flaws' in Secret Service

An independent review of the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Trump offered a critical review of the Secret Service, said the episode “reveal[s] deep flaws” in the agency and called for new leadership for the nation’s protective service.

“The Panel’s work has identified a number of specific failures and breakdowns enabling the assassination attempt on July 13. The Panel has also identified various deeper concerns. Taken together, these issues reveal deep flaws in the Secret Service, including some that appear to be systemic or cultural,” the group wrote in its 52-page report.

The report was drafted by four national and state law enforcement officials, including former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. It is the first outside review of the shooting at a Butler, Pa., rally that killed one rally attendee, pierced Trump’s ear and wounded two others.

While an earlier internal review by the Secret Service reached many of the same conclusions in terms of issues with planning leading up to the rally, Thursday’s report took a broader look at the Secret Service, and it was often critical of its internal culture.

They called for “a new leadership team with significant experience outside the Service.”

Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down after a disastrous appearance before Congress in which she refused to answer a number of questions lawmakers had about the attack.

The agency has since been led by her deputy, Ronald Rowe, another longtime Secret Service leader.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday praised Rowe

"We will fully consider the Panel’s recommendations and are taking the actions needed to advance the Secret Service’s protection mission. These actions will be responsive not only to the security failures that led to the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt but, importantly, to what the Independent Review Panel describes as systemic and foundational issues that underlie those failures," he said in a statement.

"I commend Acting Director Rowe for his leadership and for proactively undertaking security enhancements, including those informed by the Secret Service’s internal Mission Assurance Review."

As for planning leading up to Butler, the report criticized numerous oversights, including a “failure by experienced, senior-level Secret Service personnel to take necessary ownership regarding the security planning and execution at Butler.”

They also saw “a troubling lack of critical thinking by Secret Service” leading up to the attack when considering the possible risks faced by its protectees.

The report found that in Butler, and elsewhere as the Secret Service plans for events, there has been poor communication and a “lack of cohesion” between the agency and the state and local law enforcement it partners with.

In Butler, that included a failure to all be on one communications system, a technical challenge Rowe has previously said would not be easily fixed.

The report concluded that the Secret Service needs an integrated communications system as well as “a mandate that all outdoor events are observed by overhead technology.”