(UPDATED) 16 Whistleblower Allegations About Trump Assassination Attempt, Secret Service, and Poor Security
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is scheduled to testify to Congress Monday
As Democrats prepare to battle over who will become their nominee now that President Biden has stepped aside, there’s also news continuing to develop related to the Republican nominee: Donald Trump.
The head of the Secret Service, Kim Cheatle, testifies before Congress tomorrow about the fatal security lapses at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania rally.
We already know what some whistleblowers are stepping forward and giving members of Congress information behind the scenes.
Here are 14 allegations coming from insiders and others so far:
1. The Trump campaign repeatedly requested but was denied additional security resources. The Secret Service spokesman denied that was the case, but on Saturday, July 20, the Secret Service issued a statement indicating it was true.
2. The Secret Service had relinquished some key security responsibilities at the rally to local police. There is a dispute over which responsibilities belonged to whom.
3. Local law enforcement authorities, snipers, and SWAT teams weren’t on the same communications channels as each other or the Secret Service, so information couldn’t be relayed efficiently. Local SWAT and sniper teams operated on separate radio channels from local patrols. Communications had to be routed to Butler Emergency Services command, who would then relay information to either Secret Service or other local law enforcement patrols.
4. The Secret Service team that put together the site visits for the Butler, Pennsylvania rally wasn’t there the day of the rally.
5. Secret Service did not attend a security briefing provided by Butler County Emergency Services to local SWAT and sniper teams the morning of the rally. At that briefing, Butler County Emergency Services provided local law enforcement with images of the outside security perimeter at the rally they were responsible for, which did not include the American Glass Research (AGR) building where the shooter, Thomas Crooks, was eventually located. Secret Service has said the building was the responsibility of locals.
6. Police canines weren’t used to monitor entry and detect threats in the usual manner.
7. People without proper designation got into backstage areas at the rally.
8. The security buffer around Trump’s podium was not appropriately policed.
9. Security officials were not stationed at regular intervals around the event security perimeter.
10. The local sniper team photographed shooter Thomas Crooks at 5:14pm (Trump was shot at 6:11pm).
11. The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, blocked the House Oversight Committee from talking to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
12. The Department of Homeland Security is stiff-arming initial Congressional questions, telling members to work through the agency’s Congressional “liaison.”
13. Homeland Security officials with little to no practical experience at guarding a presidential figure were tasked alongside Secret Service agents at the rally.
14. Locals tasked with guarding the security perimeter at the rally were stationed at the AGR building at 10:30am on the second floor. This is the building that Crooks climbed. They noticed a suspicious character, Crooks, at 5:10pm, and took two photos of him at 5:14pm, nearly an hour before he shot Trump. They also noticed and photographed a bicycle and backpack nearby a few minutes later.
15. At 5:45pm a local sniper texted the Beaver Emergency Services Group Command about the suspect and instructed them to relay the message to “command,” which included Secret Service. At 5:59pm, a Beaver County law enforcement operator received confirmation from a Butler County SWAT commander that command was made aware of the messages and requested more information about the suspect’s location.
16. A man in a gray suit climbed the ladder to the roof shortly after Crooks was killed. He instructed local law enforcement to send photos of the dead Crooks to a certain phone number. The photos were sent to the number. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) says the number belonged to an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent who won’t respond to questions.
Republican Senators Ron Johnson, Chuck Grassley, and Marsha Blackburn are closely following developments and asking the Democrat in charge of the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing with Cheatle.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Republican James Comer (R-Kentucky), subpoenaed Cheatle to appear at a hearing Monday, July 22 at 10am. The hearing can be seen live online at:
The Secret Service has a $3.1 billion dollar budget.
Most of these allegations must be corroborated and verified by named sources in order to give them credibility. Otherwise, they will be dismissed as hearsay. Nevertheless, I suspect most are true. It’s incredible to believe that this horrendous display of security stemmed only from incompetence and was not at least partially intentional.
Thanks, Sharyl. Guess the Secret Service had to fess up to lying Saturday to avoid committing perjury at tomorrow's hearing.