Opinion | My prayer for the protectors
Washington PostJul 18
Whistleblowers: Most of Security Detail at Trump Rally Weren't Secret Service
Above: Former Pres. Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Image copyright: Anna Moneymaker/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) whistleblowers have revealed to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) that most of the security personnel deployed at former Pres. Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 weren't Secret Service agents.
Trump survived an attempted assassination last Saturday. One of the bullets fired by the suspected shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, pierced the upper part of the Republican presidential candidate's right ear, while one audience member was killed.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
It was the responsibility of the Secret Service to ensure the venue and surrounding area were secure. However, it failed spectacularly. Serious questions should be raised about the historic security failures — including denying the Trump campaign’s prior requests for more security — that enabled the assassination attack on the former president. The federal government must provide the transparency and accountability that Americans deserve.
Pro-establishment narrative
An investigation — as ordered by Pres. Joe Biden — should undoubtedly be undertaken, but it shouldn't be used as fodder to demean the agents who put their lives on the line every day to protect the nation's interests. While there were undoubtedly some failures, until the probe is concluded, the agency has earned the right to be given the benefit of the doubt. It's unfair to spread unfounded claims.