Whistleblowers Come Forward About What Caused Security Lapses at Trump Rally

From PJMedia.com

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) revealed on Thursday that whistleblowers have come forward with information regarding the security failure at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally on July 13, where Trump was nearly killed by an assassin’s bullet.

According to these whistleblowers, who provided details about security briefings from the Secret Service before the rally, both the agency and the FBI knew that federal officials had limited resources to cover the event in Butler, Pa., because staffing was stretched thin.

“Information provided to this Committee raises serious questions about the thoroughness of the security planning by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in support of President Trump’s campaign rally,” Jordan wrote in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Law enforcement overlooked a number of vulnerabilities prior to and during the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, allowing an assassin to shoot a President, murder an attendee, and critically wound two others.”

Whistleblowers have disclosed to the Committee that the USSS led two briefings regarding the July 13 campaign rally on July 8, 2024, with the Western Pennsylvania FusionCenter (WPFC) and other stakeholders, to discuss the upcoming, unrelated visits by PresidentTrump and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. The USSS Special Agent in Charge Tim Burke reportedly told law enforcement partners that the USSS had limited resources that week because the agency was covering the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, D.C. FBI personnel were present at those briefings. While the Committee recognizes that the FBI is one of many agencies represented in the WPFC, it is the lead federal investigative arm and a key source of intelligence on potential threats for special events in its area of responsibility.

Whistleblowers reveal Secret Service was understaffed at Trump rally because the agency was covering the NATO summit in D.C.

Americans deserve answers. pic.twitter.com/5QpeGTYANS

— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 18, 2024

The letter expressed the Committee’s concerns about the unanswered questions surrounding the assassination attempt and the FBI’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation given recent scandals. It requested that the testimony on July 24 fully address these issues.

Related: New Development in Trump Assassination Attempt Raises More Troubling Questions

The Committee seeks detailed information on several aspects of the assassination attempt. They want to know the number of FBI personnel involved in the investigation, the coordination between the FBI, USSS, and WPFC, and the extent of building security at the event. Specific concerns include why security left the AGR International building roof unsecured, the time elapsed between threat identification and the attempt, and whether the local officer who encountered the shooter was interviewed. 

The Committee also wants details on the FBI’s evaluation of the shooter’s digital activity, the scope of the investigation, and the impact of resource constraints due to other events. Additionally, it is interested in communication breakdowns among law enforcement and the actions the USSS took to protect President Trump once it detected a threat.

Past reports have indicated that the Secret Service has been struggling with limited resources for roughly ten years.

All articles possibly rephrased by InfoArmed.com