(NewsNation) — The July assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump “clearly shows a lack of planning and coordination between the United States Secret Service (USSS) and its law enforcement partners before the rally,” according to the preliminary investigation conducted by a congressional task force.
“Put simply, the evidence obtained by the Task Force to date shows the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should not have happened,” the report’s executive summary concludes.
The strong words are contained in a 53-page document labeled, “Interim staff report: Investigating the stunning security failures on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania.”
The report immediately condemns the “lack of planning and coordination between the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners before the rally.” It cites the failure of clear guidance from the Secret Service to the state and local agencies about managing the areas outside the secure event perimeter.
For example, “there was no joint meeting on the day of the rally between USSS and all state and local law enforcement agencies assisting USSS.” It also blasts the Secret Service for placing the American Glass Research building, from which Thomas Matthew Crooks fired on Trump, outside the secure perimeter.
Another major failure, according to the report, was the failure to engage Crooks at several “pivotal moments” that day.
“Throughout the afternoon, as Crooks’s behavior became increasingly suspicious, fragmented lines of communication allowed Crooks to evade law enforcement and, eventually, climb onto the roof of the AGR complex and fire eight shots at the rally stage and crowd, killing a rally attendee and injuring three others, including former President Trump,” the report states.
Multiple officers on the ground and witnesses recognized that Crooks was acting erratically, according to the report, and they even identified him and wrote that he had a rangefinder in text messages. Still, little to no action was taken.
The task force staff writes that it will continue to “rigorously” investigate the July assassination attempt. It will also look at the Sept. 15 incident in West Palm Beach, Florida, in which an armed man was arrested near the Trump International Golf Course. A larger report on the assassination attempts is set to come out in December.
The congressional panel’s interim report comes eight days after an independent review panel also detailed the failures in Butler and listed several “remediations” for USSS. Among them is a “re-focus on the Secret Service’s protective mission.”
“The security failures by U.S. Secret Service personnel that led to the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, PA were shocking and inexcusable,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement responding to the report. “Congress will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of truth and justice for the victims of that fateful afternoon.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.