Trump Assassination Attempt: Secret Service Under Scrutiny
Submitted by MAGA
Posted 35 days ago
A staffer for Rep. Bennie Thompson has lost their job after posting that the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump needed shooting lessons. The incident occurred during a rally in which Trump was speaking, and two attendees, Renee White and Tim Wadzita, were sitting "dead center" right behind Trump on the seventh riser when shots rang out.
Wadzita described the moment as "surreal" and said that earlier, people had been having a "blast" and were "being present" and "understanding" with each other. White said they were in a "tight shot" just behind Trump and that she was looking at the jumbotron when she heard the first shot. She followed the sound "right to Trump," then heard the next two shots and watched him go down to the ground as Secret Service agents piled on top of him.
White said that once she started hearing how the agents were communicating with one another, "everything else went away," and she realized "this is real." She said that she watched officials carry the dead body off the scene and that she was in disbelief that someone would try to take out a former president of the United States.
Both Wadzita and White ultimately hope that good will come from the bad and that the assassination attempt will bring Americans together. "It’s all about the ballot. It’s all about doing your voting," White said. "Never violence, always in peace."
The incident has raised questions about the security measures in place for former presidents and whether they are adequate. According to a source within the Secret Service community, Trump's usual protective Secret Service detail was worked so hard (working 7 days a week with no days off) that many of the agents assigned to the rally were temporary replacements from different field offices. This is not the usual protocol for sitting presidents and vice presidents but is "typical" for former presidents, although no former presidents have run again in modern history.
The source also said that the only permanent agent from Trump's detail during the rally was SAIC (Special Agent In Charge) Kern, and all others were temps. The Pittsburgh USSS Field Office had a Jill Biden visit and designated a lot of resources to her, the source said. The advance work only occurred one day beforehand because of a lack of resources.
The incident has also raised questions about the resources allocated to the Secret Service and whether they are being used effectively. The Pittsburgh USSS Field Office had a Jill Biden visit and designated a lot of resources to her, the source said. "That is f---ing unbelievable to me," the source remarked.
Another Secret Service source says approval for the Counter Sniper Team was only granted the day before the rally - and that is not enough time for a two-man team to do their survey. "That’s nowhere near enough time - a site like that should have had at least three Secret Service counter-sniper teams at the very least," the source said.
The incident has sparked calls for an investigation into the Secret Service and its readiness to protect former presidents. A GOP oversight committee is already underway, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other top officials will be grilled on this topic and the agency's reactive rules of engagement in this situation that requires counter snipers to fire only after a shooter fires first.
The incident has also sparked calls for a review of the Secret Service's diversity and inclusion policies, which have been criticized for prioritizing hiring based on diversity over training and security concerns. A petition is circulating in the Secret Service community calling for an investigation and the removal of Cheatle as director.
The incident has highlighted the importance of security for former presidents and the need for adequate resources and protocols to protect them. It has also underscored the need for unity and peace in the face of violence and division. "It’s all about the ballot. It’s all about doing your voting," White said. "Never violence, always in peace."
Sources:
nbcnews.com
threadreaderapp.com
threadreaderapp.com
Wadzita described the moment as "surreal" and said that earlier, people had been having a "blast" and were "being present" and "understanding" with each other. White said they were in a "tight shot" just behind Trump and that she was looking at the jumbotron when she heard the first shot. She followed the sound "right to Trump," then heard the next two shots and watched him go down to the ground as Secret Service agents piled on top of him.
White said that once she started hearing how the agents were communicating with one another, "everything else went away," and she realized "this is real." She said that she watched officials carry the dead body off the scene and that she was in disbelief that someone would try to take out a former president of the United States.
Both Wadzita and White ultimately hope that good will come from the bad and that the assassination attempt will bring Americans together. "It’s all about the ballot. It’s all about doing your voting," White said. "Never violence, always in peace."
The incident has raised questions about the security measures in place for former presidents and whether they are adequate. According to a source within the Secret Service community, Trump's usual protective Secret Service detail was worked so hard (working 7 days a week with no days off) that many of the agents assigned to the rally were temporary replacements from different field offices. This is not the usual protocol for sitting presidents and vice presidents but is "typical" for former presidents, although no former presidents have run again in modern history.
The source also said that the only permanent agent from Trump's detail during the rally was SAIC (Special Agent In Charge) Kern, and all others were temps. The Pittsburgh USSS Field Office had a Jill Biden visit and designated a lot of resources to her, the source said. The advance work only occurred one day beforehand because of a lack of resources.
The incident has also raised questions about the resources allocated to the Secret Service and whether they are being used effectively. The Pittsburgh USSS Field Office had a Jill Biden visit and designated a lot of resources to her, the source said. "That is f---ing unbelievable to me," the source remarked.
Another Secret Service source says approval for the Counter Sniper Team was only granted the day before the rally - and that is not enough time for a two-man team to do their survey. "That’s nowhere near enough time - a site like that should have had at least three Secret Service counter-sniper teams at the very least," the source said.
The incident has sparked calls for an investigation into the Secret Service and its readiness to protect former presidents. A GOP oversight committee is already underway, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other top officials will be grilled on this topic and the agency's reactive rules of engagement in this situation that requires counter snipers to fire only after a shooter fires first.
The incident has also sparked calls for a review of the Secret Service's diversity and inclusion policies, which have been criticized for prioritizing hiring based on diversity over training and security concerns. A petition is circulating in the Secret Service community calling for an investigation and the removal of Cheatle as director.
The incident has highlighted the importance of security for former presidents and the need for adequate resources and protocols to protect them. It has also underscored the need for unity and peace in the face of violence and division. "It’s all about the ballot. It’s all about doing your voting," White said. "Never violence, always in peace."
Sources:
nbcnews.com
threadreaderapp.com
threadreaderapp.com
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