Details are still emerging regarding the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump last month during a rally in Butler, Pa., and they should concern all Americans about the safety of the men and women under Secret Service protection. Trump’s campaign had to cancel several events and rallies leading up to the failed attempt due to inadequate security by the Secret Service, according to aides who spoke to The Washington Post.
In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, concerns about the Secret Service’s ability to protect the former president have come to light and eventually forced Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to resign. The Trump campaign previously requested additional precautions but was denied “additional protection,” including “more snipers, bomb-sniffing dogs, magnetometers and specialty teams” ahead of the assassination attempt because Secret Service officials said the resources weren’t available, aides told The Washington Post.
Since the assassination attempt, the Secret Service has significantly increased its protection measures, making Trump’s aides feel as though the former president is effectively back in office, sources told the outlet. “We live in a military encampment again,” one source told The Washington Post of the increased security at events and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Secret Service agents told the outlet that its manual for protecting former presidents doesn’t take into account his bid for reelection, his “unusually high profile and pace of public events.”
Following the assassination attempt, Trump’s team was compelled to halt outdoor rallies due to security concerns, according to The Washington Post. The Secret Service has now reportedly approved the use of bulletproof glass for future outdoor events featuring the former president. Despite the previous threat on his life, Trump intends to return to Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of the assassination attempt, to continue his rally schedule.
The Secret Service and FBI previously informed lawmakers that Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Trump, was identified an hour before he began shooting at the former president, according to sources familiar with the briefing. Cheatle had told ABC News that the roof where Crooks was stationed was not covered because it was “sloped.” “There was zero accountability from Secret Service,” one source familiar with what occurred at the briefing told the DCNF. “They identified the shooter 60 minutes prior to the assassination attempt.”
Americans are expressing significant doubts about the official account of the attempted assassination of Trump. A recent TIPP/Daily Mail poll reveals that only a third of respondents believe the gunman acted alone without any broader conspiracy. Meanwhile, 45% suspect a “larger conspiracy,” and 22% remain uncertain. Additionally, over a quarter of those surveyed think there may have been a second shooter involved.
The FBI, leading the official investigation into the shooting, has firmly rejected the second-shooter theory, asserting there is no evidence to suggest that the 20-year-old man who fired eight shots at former President Trump was anything but a lone actor. However, these reassurances have not quelled widespread skepticism, with Republicans in particular expressing more doubt about the official narrative than Democrats, the Washington Times reported.
Among Democrats, some theories suggest that Trump may have “staged” the shooting, orchestrating the event so he was grazed by a bullet while allowing one rallygoer to be killed and two others to be seriously injured. The theory posits that he manipulated a 20-year-old to take the blame and face lethal consequences from counter-snipers. Another theory proposes that Trump was not actually hit by a bullet and instead inflicted the injury on himself to create the bloodied ear that has become symbolic of the incident.
Among conservatives, concerns about the shooter’s ability to access a rooftop with a clear line of sight on Trump and fire eight shots have led to theories about a potential conspiracy to leave the Republican presidential nominee unprotected. Some believe there may have been a second shooter stationed on a water tower in addition to the 20-year-old on the rooftop. The survey, conducted this month by TIPP, included 1,488 adults and has a margin of error of ±2.7%, the Times reported.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.