Independent US Govt. Panel Calls for Secret Service Overhaul

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Oct 17, 2024

Above: Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Image copyright: Rebecca Droke/Contributor/AFP via Getty Imagesstory last updated Oct 18

The Facts

A group of former top law enforcement and government officials, appointed by Secretary of the Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas, has recommended replacing US Secret Service (USSS) leadership over the attempted assassination of former Pres. Donald Trump.
The independent panel, which was asked to analyze the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, said it found a "lack of ownership" among the USSS agents it interviewed, specifically related to their lack of planning prior to the assassination and behavior afterward.

The Spin

Republican narrative

The Secret Service made every possible failure that day in Pennsylvania, from placing inexperienced agents on Trump's protection detail to ignoring the suspicious shooter for over 90 minutes before he started shooting. What makes this even worse is that after almost allowing Trump to die, the agency took no responsibility. The USSS is currently rotten to its core and must be completely overhauled.

New York Post

Democratic narrative

While everyone can agree that the USSS came up short on that day in Pennsylvania, it's important not to throw the entire agency under the bus. The USSS has a long history of being a premier public official protective agency, but due to a lack of resources, it has faced several setbacks. Instead of recreating the agency, it should be given more funding to hire new agents and pay them more.