Butler, Pennsylvania During a contentious House oversight hearing on Thursday, lawmakers criticized Secret Service leadership for allegedly failing to stop an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) characterized the agency’s response to the incident as terrible neglect, and Acting Secret Service Director Ronald L. Rowe Jr. was subjected to harsh interrogation about it.
Trump, who is now the president-elect and was the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination at the time, was blasted by Fallon for not having enough security. Fallon described the Secret Service’s preparation as “abysmal,” pointing out that there was no counter-surveillance unit (CSU), a smaller tactical reaction team, and insufficient intelligence sharing about a real danger from a foreign country. Fallon said throughout the hearing that a past president nearly lost his life as a result of this kind of incompetence and carelessness.
Rowe acknowledged that Trump did not get security measures comparable to those given to a sitting president. Rowe took up the position after former Director Kimberly Cheadle resigned amid bipartisan scrutiny after the event. When questioned about whether Trump’s detail had complete support at the time, Rowe admitted that he wasn’t. However, citing security concerns in the public setting, Rowe refused to elaborate on the foreign danger.
The chronology of events infuriated lawmakers. Even though the event was serious, Rowe didn’t visit the Butler site until July 24, 11 days after the attempt, when Cheadle resigned, Fallon noted. You waited eleven days, but why? Fallon insisted. In response, Rowe stated that he had been overseeing the problem from headquarters and had only come to visit after officially assuming the position of acting director.
Broader issues about Secret Service culture and resource distribution were also covered at the session. Fallon attacked the agency’s $2 billion budget increase request, pointing out that simple security measures like deploying counter-surveillance teams and properly coordinating the area’s protection would only cost about $4,000. According to Fallon, this was a leadership issue rather than a resource issue.
When Fallon brought up a picture of Rowe at a 9/11 memorial service and charged him of putting public appearances ahead of operational supervision, tensions erupted. In defense of his decades of service, Rowe emphasized the seriousness of paying respect to those who perished in the attacks, including two Secret Service agents. The chairman had to call the committee back to order because of the heated argument.
Bipartisan indignation has been aroused by the Secret Service’s handling of the episode, casting doubt on the organization’s capacity to adjust to intricate threats against well-known individuals.
As politicians call for accountability and improvements, the Butler security breach has increased scrutiny of the Secret Service.
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