Following the news that President Donald Trump was literally millimeters away from being assassinated Saturday night during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, questions are arising about the role the Secret Service played in the catastrophic failure of protection.
After the bullet whizzed by Trump, scraping his ear, he immediately ducked down as secret service agents descended on the podium.
According to Susan Crabtree of Real Clear Politics, the Secret Service had shifted critical resources to guard Jill Biden‘s campaign event in Pittsburgh, away from Trump’s rally.
Other rallies were held on Saturday.
Sources told Crabtree they were following the agency’s protocol of treating Trump as a former president, and it appears Jill Biden was seen as more important – despite Trump being the frontrunner to become the next president of the United States.
“Secret Services resources were diverted to Jill Biden’s event and away from Trump’s because they followed agency protocol applying to Trump as a former president, according to two sources within the Secret Service community,” Crabtree said.
“There were also many supplemental agents from different field officers (not Trump’s regular detail) providing security at the rally because Trump’s regular detail has been overworked (some working 7 days straight), and only two counter-snipers.”
“But Trump is not just a former president — he is the first in modern history to have run for president again — and he has been the focus of several prosecutions and controversies (understatement intentional).”
“Who made the decision to divert the resources to Jill Biden’s event?”
This is the problem that my Secret Sources have cited: Secret Services resources were diverted to Jill Biden's event and away from Trump's because they followed agency protocol applying to Trump as a former president, according to two sources within the Secret Service community.… pic.twitter.com/9MzmS6Bia7
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) July 14, 2024
Trump’s detail was so overworked that several agents were temporary replacements from multiple field offices, Crabtree noted.
Trump was being treated as less important and as some random “former president,” despite the fact that he is a major target for crazed liberals.
This isn’t usual protocol for sitting presidents, but typical” for former presidents, (although no former presidents have run again in modern history.)
“Trump has a permanent detail, however it’s much smaller in the amount of bodies,” the source said.
“His detail has been worked so hard with all the travel that they’re working 7 days a week with shift changes.
“So HQ sends in temp agents to supplement – not a good scenario. Mission Failure, IMHO.”
The decision to remove critical protection from the Trump rally likely played a role in his almost being assassinated.
Former Secret Service US Secret Service agent and popular Conservative News host, Dan Bongino, broke down the events during an appearance on Fox News:
READ: It Took Joe Biden Nearly 2 Hours to Condemn Trump Assassination Attempt