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A US Senate report has found that a series of “unacceptable failures” in planning, communication, and response by the United States Secret Service contributed to last year’s attempted assassination of Donald Trump, who was then a presidential candidate.
The report, released by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, follows the 2024 shooting incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which a 20-year-old gunman fired eight rounds at Trump during a campaign rally, slightly injuring him.
One spectator was killed and two others wounded before the shooter was neutralised by a sniper.
“What happened was inexcusable, and the disciplinary action taken so far does not reflect the gravity of the situation,” Bernama-Xinhua cited the report saying.
The committee, chaired by Republican Senator Rand Paul, did not mince words.
“This was not an error in judgement. It was a wholesale security failure at every level — driven by bureaucratic complacency, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking unwillingness to act on a direct threat,” said Paul in a statement.
Most damningly, the report revealed that Secret Service personnel had identified a suspicious individual nearly 45 minutes before shots were fired but failed to take decisive action.
This, the report concluded, was part of “a troubling pattern of communication breakdowns and negligence that led to a preventable tragedy.”
In the wake of the incident, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned. According to the agency, six agents involved have been suspended for periods ranging from 10 to 42 days. ]
However, no personnel have been dismissed — a point of criticism highlighted by the Senate report, which noted that the punishments were more lenient than those recommended by the committee.
“We must ensure those responsible are held accountable, and that reforms are fully implemented to prevent such failures in the future,” Senator Paul added. - July 14, 2025