Here’s what was learned.
A newly released federal watchdog report has uncovered a series of major security failures surrounding the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, raising fresh questions about how the attack was allowed to happen.
According to a 64-page report from the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, the U.S. Secret Service missed numerous opportunities to identify and stop gunman Thomas Crooks before he opened fire at the July 13, 2024, rally.
Investigators concluded that breakdowns in communication, intelligence sharing, event planning, and counter-drone operations all contributed to the security lapse.
Inspector General Details Multiple Secret Service Failures
The inspector general’s report found that the Secret Service failed to detect, prevent, and disrupt the threat despite receiving several warning signs before the shooting.
Investigators blamed the failures on inadequate policies, poor coordination between agencies, and weak collaboration with state and local law enforcement officials responsible for helping secure the event.
The findings add new detail to one of the most closely examined security incidents in modern presidential campaign history.
More Than 100 Police Warnings Never Reached Agents
Among the report’s most concerning findings was that the Secret Service never received 102 radio transmissions from local law enforcement because officials failed to establish a joint communications center for the event.
Local officers reportedly began alerting fellow law enforcement personnel after spotting a suspicious man carrying a rangefinder near the American Glass Research complex well before the shooting.
As the situation escalated, officers radioed additional warnings that the suspect had climbed onto a nearby rooftop and appeared to be carrying a rifle.
Despite those increasingly urgent alerts, Trump’s protective detail received only five phone calls and three text messages about the suspect.
Because critical information never reached the agents protecting Trump, investigators found that his security team remained unaware of the full extent of the threat until Crooks fired eight shots from a rooftop approximately 155 yards from the stage.
Counter-Drone System Failed Before the Attack
The report also revealed that Crooks flew a drone over the rally grounds for nearly nine minutes several hours before the shooting.
According to investigators, the Secret Service’s counter-drone system was not functioning properly and was assigned to a single operator whom the report described as lacking sufficient training.
After learning reports of an armed suspect on the rooftop, the counter-drone operator reportedly searched online to identify the building instead of immediately coordinating with officers already on the scene.
The inspector general found that the operator was still attempting to locate the building when the first shots were fired.
Security Planning Left Key Areas Vulnerable
Investigators also criticized the Secret Service for failing to secure areas beyond the official event perimeter, even though Pennsylvania State Police had previously provided planning documents identifying the rooftop and surrounding area as potential vulnerabilities.
The report further concluded that available vehicles and other security resources were not positioned to block the gunman’s direct line of sight to the stage, leaving an exposed vantage point that Crooks ultimately exploited.
The inspector general said stronger planning and closer coordination with local law enforcement could have reduced the security risks before the rally began.
Secret Service Accepts Recommendations
The watchdog report includes seven recommendations designed to improve communications, intelligence sharing, security planning, and coordination for future presidential events.
The Secret Service said it agrees with all seven recommendations and noted that many of the proposed reforms have already been implemented in the months following the Butler attack.
Crooks was fatally shot by law enforcement shortly after opening fire.
The attack claimed the life of one rally attendee, seriously wounded two others, and left Trump with a graze wound to his right ear after a bullet narrowly missed a more devastating outcome.
The newly released inspector general report is expected to intensify scrutiny of the Secret Service’s protective operations as lawmakers and federal officials continue reviewing what went wrong that day and whether additional reforms are needed to better safeguard future presidential candidates and public officials.