The US Secret Service has openly acknowledged its failure to safeguard former President Donald Trump during an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. When a young assailant fired at Trump, barely missing him, the bullet grazed his right ear, narrowly avoiding a fatal outcome.
Ronald Rowe, Acting Director of the US Secret Service, addressed the incident at a press conference, stating, “The Secret Service takes full responsibility for the tragic events of July 13th. This was a mission failure. Our primary duty is to ensure the safety of our protectees, and we failed to meet that standard in Butler. We are taking steps to prevent such failures in the future.”
Rowe explained that the Secret Service is actively cooperating with ongoing investigations by Congress, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, and an independent review ordered by President Joe Biden. He emphasized, “We are not waiting for these investigations to conclude before making necessary changes to enhance our protectee’s safety.”
In detail, Rowe recounted that at 5:30 p.m., Trump arrived at the venue via a Secret Service motorcade and engaged with supporters in a secured area. By 5:45 p.m., the Secret Service received a report from a local countersniper about a suspicious individual, later identified as the assailant.
At 6:00 pm, Trump began his speech. Unbeknownst to the Secret Service, the assailant was positioned on a nearby building’s roof with a firearm. “Our team was unaware of the gunman’s presence until the shooting started,” Rowe admitted.
The assailant fired the first series of shots at 6:11 pm, prompting Trump’s detail to shield him on stage quickly. Within seconds, a Secret Service sniper neutralized the gunman.
