19.74°C Vancouver

Jul 22, 2024 6:25 PM - The Associated Press

Secret Service director says Trump assassination attempt was biggest agency 'failure' in decades

Share On
secret-service-director-says-trump-assassination-attempt-was-biggest-agency-failure-in-decades
TheSecret Servicehas acknowledged it denied some requests by Trump's campaign for increased security at his events in the years before theassassination attempt.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

The director of the Secret Service says the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was the agency's “most significant operational failure” in decades.

Director Kimberly Cheatle told lawmakers Monday during a congressional hearing: “On July 13, we failed." Cheatle says she takes full responsibility for the agency's missteps related to the attack at Trump’s Pennsylvana rally earlier this month.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Secret Service directoris set to testify Monday before a congressional committee as calls mount for her to resign over security failures at a rally where a 20-year-old gunmanattempted to assassinateformer PresidentDonald Trump.

The House Oversight Committee hearing will be Kimberly Cheatle's first appearance before lawmakers since the July 13 Pennsylvania rally shooting that left one spectator dead. Trump was wounded in the ear and two other attendees were injured after Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed atop the roof of a nearby building and opened fire.

Lawmakers have been expressing anger over how thegunman could get so closeto the Republican presidential nominee when he was supposed to be carefully guarded. TheSecret Servicehas acknowledged it denied some requests by Trump's campaign for increased security at his events in the years before theassassination attempt.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has called what happened a “failure” while several lawmakers have called on Cheatle to resign or forPresident Joe Bidento fire her. The Secret Service has said Cheatle does not intend to step down. So far, she retains the support of Biden, a Democrat, and Mayorkas.

Before the shooting, local law enforcement had noticed Crooks pacing around the edges of the rally, peering into the lens of a rangefinder toward the rooftops behind the stage where the president later stood, officials have told The Associated Press. An image of Crooks was circulated by officers stationed outside the security perimeter.

Witnesses later saw him climbing up the side of a squat manufacturing building that was within 135 meters (157 yards) from the stage. He then set up his AR-style rifle and lay on the rooftop, a detonator in his pocket to set off crude explosive devices that were stashed in his car parked nearby.

The attack on Trump was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. It was the latest in a series of security lapses by the agency that has drawn investigations and public scrutiny over the years.

Authorities have been hunting for clues into what motivated Crooks, but so far have not found any ideological bent that could help explain his actions. Investigators who searched his phonefound photos of Trump, Biden and other senior government officials, and also found that he had looked up the dates for the Democratic National Conventional as well as Trump’s appearances. He also searched for information about major depressive order.

Latest news

prime-minister-carney-says-canada-will-recognize-a-palestinian-state
CanadaJul 30, 2025

Prime Minister Carney says Canada will recognize a Palestinian state

Canada intends to recognize the state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly this September. Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement today in Ottawa after holding a virtual meeting with his cabinet. Carney says Palestinian statehood depends on elections next year that do not involve Hamas. The prime minister's announcement comes after British Prime Minister Keir (KEER') Starmer said the U-K would officially recognize a Palestinian state if Israel does not implement a ceasefire and drastically scale up aid in the Gaza Strip. Multiple humanitarian groups say starvation is
world-swimming-championship-2025-canada-wins-bronze-in-4x100m-mixed-medley-relay
CanadaJul 30, 2025

World Swimming Championship 2025: Canada wins bronze in 4X100m mixed medley relay

Canadian swimmers performed well on day 4 of the World Swimming Championships being played in Singapore. On one hand, Canada won a bronze medal today and on the other hand, Summer McIntosh, Kylie Masse and Ingrid Wilm did well in their respective events. Today, Canada won the bronze medal in the 4x100-meter mixed medley relay with a timing of 3 minutes 40.90 seconds, thanks to the performances of Kylie Masse, Oliver Dawson, Josh Liendo and Taylor Ruck. In the semi-finals of the women's 200m butterfly event, Summer McIntosh entered the final with a timing of 2 minutes 6.22 seconds. The 18-year-
prime-minister-mark-carney-is-having-a-virtual-meeting-with-his-cabinet-today
CanadaJul 30, 2025

PM Carney assembling cabinet today to talk U.S. trade, Middle East

Prime Minister Mark Carney is meeting virtually with his cabinet today to discuss the state of trade negotiations with the U.S. and the situation in the Middle East.The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc is in Washington today meeting with U.S. officials.Carney said Monday that Canada's negotiations with the United States are in an "intense phase" after President Donald Trump clinched a critical agreement with the European Union.Trump told reporters last week that Canada wasn't a priority ahead of his Aug. 1 deadline to make trade deal
canadian-government-may-introduce-bail-reform-bill-in-fall
CanadaJul 30, 2025

Canadian government may introduce bail reform bill in fall

During this spring’s federal election, the Liberals promised to "move aggressively" to implement stricter bail laws by introducing a reverse onus for a number of offences. A reverse onus moves the burden of proof from the prosecutor to the accused — meaning they would have to justify being granted bail. The Criminal Code already has a reverse onus for bail in place for many serious offences, including murder. The Liberals would add new offences to that list, including car thefts involving violence or those conducted for a criminal organization, and home invasions and some human trafficking
coquitlam-rcmp-announce-guilty-plea-after-lengthy-firearm-related-offence-investigation
BCJul 29, 2025

Coquitlam RCMP announce guilty plea after lengthy firearm related offence investigation

Following a lengthy police investigation into a 2021 shooting incident that occurred in Coquitlam, 36-year-old Sukhdeep Singh Pansal of Delta, British Columbia, has plead guilty to firearms related charges and has been sentenced to 38 months in prison. On January 16, 2021, at approximately 12:05 a.m., Coquitlam RCMP frontline officers responded to a report of shots fired from a high-rise building located in the 600 block of Whiting Way, Coquitlam. A woman was found with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was taken to hospital. The Lower Mainland District Emergency Response Team (ERT) ass

Related News