The House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump released its final report on Tuesday. The report covers the July 13 wounding of President-elect Trump at Butler, Pennsylvania, and the September 15 assassination attempt in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The report paints a picture with which we are sadly familiar. The Secret Service's actions in Butler, in particular, reek of complacency and privilege. Basic principles, like "communication" and "unity of command," were totally absent. The elementary principles of tactical operations — reconnaissance, planning, control, and security — were tossed to the winds.
The Task Force found that the tragic and shocking events in Butler, Pennsylvania were preventable and should not have happened. There was not, however, a singular moment or decision that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to nearly assassinate the former President. The various failures in planning, execution, and leadership on and before July 13, 2024, and the preexisting conditions that undermined the effectiveness of the human and material assets deployed that day, coalesced to create an environment in which the former President—and everyone at the campaign event—were exposed to grave danger. Conversely, the events that transpired on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida, demonstrated how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination.
But there is this howler: The events in "West Palm Beach, Florida, demonstrated how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination." Wait, what?
Let's look into what the report says about West Palm Beach...
More
The report paints a picture with which we are sadly familiar. The Secret Service's actions in Butler, in particular, reek of complacency and privilege. Basic principles, like "communication" and "unity of command," were totally absent. The elementary principles of tactical operations — reconnaissance, planning, control, and security — were tossed to the winds.
The Task Force found that the tragic and shocking events in Butler, Pennsylvania were preventable and should not have happened. There was not, however, a singular moment or decision that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to nearly assassinate the former President. The various failures in planning, execution, and leadership on and before July 13, 2024, and the preexisting conditions that undermined the effectiveness of the human and material assets deployed that day, coalesced to create an environment in which the former President—and everyone at the campaign event—were exposed to grave danger. Conversely, the events that transpired on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida, demonstrated how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination.
But there is this howler: The events in "West Palm Beach, Florida, demonstrated how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination." Wait, what?
Let's look into what the report says about West Palm Beach...
More
