On Monday, a group of U.S. lawmakers visited Butler, Pennsylvania, where a distressing incident during former President Donald Trump’s rally had raised serious concerns about presidential security protocols.
The visit came after an attempted assassination where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks targeted Trump using an AR-15-style rifle from a rooftop during a campaign rally.
Politico reported that the delegation included members from the House Homeland Security Committee, who inspected the site to understand better the logistics and decisions made on that day.
Their primary concern was to evaluate the security measures undertaken by the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies involved in the rally.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle had earlier explained that the decision to not position agents on the rooftop was influenced by the hazardous conditions posed by its slope.
However, lawmakers, after personally walking on the said rooftop, questioned the validity of this safety concern. Representative Carlos Gimenez, aged 70, refuted the claims about the roof’s danger, expressing incredulity at the supposed safety risks.
“I can tell you that, just looking at the site, there are immediately obvious things that were overlooked, and that's frankly unacceptable,” Gimenez stated. Other representatives shared his skepticism, challenging the justifications given by the Secret Service regarding their deployment strategy.
The proximity of the rooftop to the rally sparked further criticism. Representative Michael McCaul highlighted how dangerously close the rooftop was to where Trump spoke.
"It’s way too close," McCaul asserted, questioning why a counter-sniper wasn't placed on a nearby water tower that provided a commanding view of the rally venue.
The exclusion of local law enforcement from the Secret Service command posts was another significant concern discussed. Normally, local authorities are included in the command control rooms during such high-profile events. The Chair of Homeland Security, Mark Green, pointed out, “Today, the locals shared with us that they were not allowed to have anybody in there. So, that makes you want to dig a little further, right?”
A potential overreach of campaign influence on security decisions was also a critical topic of discussion. Representative Lou Correa questioned the leadership dynamics between the Secret Service and the Trump campaign, wondering who had the final say in the security setups.
This concern was echoed by others who feared that campaign priorities might have overshadowed essential safety considerations.
Representative Glenn Ivey suggested that perhaps the rally should not have been held at this location at all, citing numerous other roofs that could have posed threats.
“I think there’s a lot of issues here that probably strongly suggested we never should have had the event here to start with," he remarked.
As the investigations continue, the call for Secret Service Director Cheatle’s resignation grows among some circles, though others urge patience and thoroughness before concluding. Representative Bennie Thompson noted, “We [are] not quite through with all of the gathering of information. But we are not reluctant once we gather it, to make decisions.”
In conclusion, the question of security at presidential rallies remains a poignant issue. Lawmakers are committed to ensuring that future events are not marred by similar security oversights. This visit by the legislators served not only to review the specifics of the failed assassination attempt and security lapses but also to hold accountable those in charge and to prevent such a close call from happening again.