{"id":2303428,"date":"2024-07-21T05:49:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-21T09:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblowers-trumps-butler-rally-was-a-loose-security-event\/"},"modified":"2024-07-21T05:53:59","modified_gmt":"2024-07-21T09:53:59","slug":"whistleblowers-claim-trumps-butler-rally-had-lax-security-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblowers-claim-trumps-butler-rally-had-lax-security-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Whistleblowers claim Trump&#8217;s Butler Rally had lax security"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhistleblowers-claim-trumps-butler-rally-had-lax-security-13%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2303428&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The summary highlights whistleblower allegations that \u2064federal officials\u200b planned\u2063 former \u2064President Donald Trump&#8217;s rally in Butler, \u2064Pennsylvania \u2064with &#8220;loose security,&#8221; leading to \u2062a shooting incident where\u2062 the former president was wounded and two attendees were injured. The whistleblower claims include accusations\u200c that security measures\u2063 at the rally were a &#8220;stunning failure,&#8221; with agents not \u200dusing proper\u2064 protocols and\u2062 allowing unauthorized individuals into backstage areas. The House Judiciary Committee wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray expressing\u2062 concerns about\u200d security lapses before \u200dand during\u200c the rally, and questions remain about \u2064the FBI&#8217;s ability to conduct \u200ca thorough investigation. Trump&#8217;s security\u2062 detail had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblowers-claim-trumps-butler-rally-had-lax-security-9\/\" title=\"Whistleblowers claim Trump&#039;s Butler Rally had lax security\">reportedly requested increased resources<\/a> before the rally but was denied by\u200b the Department of Homeland Security. The would-be\u200c assassin allegedly \u2064hid a gun at the rally site before the event, and it was suggested that \u200bofficials had\u2064 drawn the security\u200d perimeter to exclude the building the shooter used,\u2062 leaving a clear \u200dline of\u200c sight to Trump.\u200b Police reportedly \u2064informed the \u2063Secret \u200bService beforehand that they did\u2063 not have enough manpower to \u2063secure the building from\u2063 which the shooter \u2063fired. Secret Service agents reportedly spotted the shooter on the roof before\u200d the assassination attempt \u200cbut were \u200bunable to prevent \u2064the shooting. Ultimately, the letter\u200d emphasizes concerns about the security failures surrounding \u2062the rally and the need \u2063for \u2062a\u200c transparent\u2063 investigation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Federal officials planned former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania with &ldquo;loose security,&rdquo; according to whistleblower allegations. A gunman at the rally shot and wounded the former president, injured two attendees, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/15\/late-trump-rallygoer-was-a-real-life-superhero-who-took-a-bullet-to-protect-his-family\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">killed<\/a> firefighter and father Corey Comperatore.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;According to the allegations, the July 13 rally was considered to be a &lsquo;loose&rsquo; security event,&rdquo; Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote in a Friday <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HawleyMO\/status\/1814278991605350726\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a> to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. &ldquo;[A]llegations suggest the majority of DHS officials were not in fact USSS [Secret Service] agents but instead drawn from the department&rsquo;s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Security was a &ldquo;stunning failure&rdquo; at Trump&rsquo;s Butler rally, Hawley wrote. Citing whistleblower allegations, he said agents did not use K-9 detection, did not maintain proper security near the podium or rally perimeter, and allowed unauthorized people into &ldquo;backstage areas.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Allegations claimed the HSI agents staffing the rally were &ldquo;unfamiliar with standard protocols typically used,&rdquo; according to Hawley.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;DHS assigned unprepared and inexperienced personnel,&rdquo; Hawley <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HawleyMO\/status\/1814278991605350726\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted<\/a> on X.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hawley wrote Mayorkas that DHS had not been &ldquo;appropriately forthcoming with members of Congress,&rdquo; citing a Secret Service call that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/secret-service-check-box-senate-briefing-leaves-questions-infuriating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ended<\/a> &ldquo;abruptly&rdquo; &ldquo;before most Senators could even ask a question.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is completely unacceptable and contrary to the public&rsquo;s interest in transparency,&rdquo; Hawley wrote in the letter. &ldquo;We have learned more from whistleblowers than your department&rsquo;s officials. I will continue to protect the anonymity and confidentiality of all who contact my office.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hawley said his office aims to &ldquo;continue&rdquo; its investigation. He asked Mayorkas a list of questions, including what percentage of agents staffing the rally were from HSI or DHS rather than from the Secret Service, if gaps existed in the security perimeter, and how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblowers-claim-trumps-butler-rally-had-lax-security\/\" title=\"Whistleblowers claim Trump&#039;s Butler Rally had lax security\">long agents spent surveying<\/a> the area beforehand.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s would-be assassin reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/19\/report-trump-rally-assassin-hid-gun-on-site-before-the-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hid<\/a> a gun at the rally site before the event.<\/p>\n<h2>Security Lapses<\/h2>\n<p>The House Judiciary Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JudiciaryGOP\/status\/1813997424362606762\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a> FBI Director Christopher Wray Thursday, saying &ldquo;[l]aw enforcement overlooked a number of vulnerabilities prior to and during&rdquo; the rally.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Secret Service held two briefings on July 8 with &ldquo;stakeholders&rdquo; including FBI staff to discuss security being stretched between the Trump rally, a nearby First Lady Jill Biden event, and a North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting in Washington, D.C, according to the letter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Secret Service Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, the Monday after the assassination attempt, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecretSvcSpox\/status\/1812676305860645158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">denied<\/a> that &ldquo;resources were diverted&rdquo; from Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The committee has several unanswered questions about the failures that led to the attempted assassination of a president &mdash; the first in over forty years,&rdquo; the letter from the House Judiciary Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JudiciaryGOP\/status\/1813997424362606762\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reads<\/a>, &ldquo;as well as the FBI&rsquo;s ability to conduct a rapid, transparent, and thorough investigation in the wake of its recent scandals.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s security detail had reportedly been <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/13\/democrats-started-trying-to-strip-trumps-secret-service-protection-just-months-before-shooting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asking<\/a> for increased resources for weeks before the rally, only to be denied by the Department of Homeland Security. Guglielmi also <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecretSvcSpox\/status\/1812451649387933912\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claimed<\/a> this was false.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>At the rally, officials <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/16\/bidens-team-deliberately-kneecapped-trumps-security-to-allow-an-assassination-attempt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drew<\/a> the security perimeter to exclude the building the would-be assassin used. They left a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/16\/bidens-team-deliberately-kneecapped-trumps-security-to-allow-an-assassination-attempt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">clear<\/a> line of sight from the rooftop to Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said officials did not place snipers on the shooter&rsquo;s roof because it was &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/16\/secret-service-director-we-didnt-put-snipers-on-the-roof-because-it-was-kind-of-sloped\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sloped<\/a>.&rdquo; But the shooter&rsquo;s roof was <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/17\/any-roofer-worth-his-salt-knows-secret-services-sloped-roof-excuse-is-nonsense\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nearly flat<\/a>, easily <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/07\/14\/us-news\/horrifying-video-shows-would-be-assassin-open-fire-on-former-president-trump-from-rooftop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">navigable<\/a> for law enforcement after the rally. Counter-snipers at the same rally were stationed on a roof with a more significant slope.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Police reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/17\/local-police-told-secret-service-they-didnt-have-manpower-to-secure-building-used-by-trumps-would-be-assassin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> the Secret Service beforehand they did not have enough &ldquo;manpower&rdquo; to secure the building from which the shooter fired. A police officer reportedly saw the shooter with a rangefinder and backpack before the attempted assassination and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/16\/report-three-counter-snipers-were-in-building-trump-shooter-used-took-photos-of-him\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> this to a &ldquo;command center.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Secret Service agents &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/trump-assassination-attempt-investigation-continues-new-details\/story?id=112020474\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spotted<\/a>&rdquo; the shooter on the roof 20 minutes before the assassination attempt, according to ABC News. Rally attendees also saw the shooter before shots were fired, pointing and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FunkerActual\/status\/1812652950143086723\/video\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shouting<\/a> to nearby law enforcement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When a bullet <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarioNawfal\/status\/1813626264957440282\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">grazed<\/a> Trump&rsquo;s right ear, he ducked and Secret Service agents <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CollinRugg\/status\/1813684681923281094\/video\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dove<\/a> on top of him. They ushered him to his vehicle, leaving his head unprotected. One female agent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/world\/north-america\/shooting-at-trump-rally-in-pennsylvania\/video\/4bf8228ebfe28a3a921393bb2b0cc1cb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fumbled<\/a> with her holster, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CollinRugg\/status\/1813684681923281094\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">another<\/a> seemed to be stumbling back and forth, and another lost her sunglasses and put them back on.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/17\/grassley-launches-probe-into-monumental-security-failure-by-secret-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> an investigation Wednesday into the &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secret-service-director-declines-to-step-down\/\" title=\"Secret Service Director declines to step down\">monumental security failure&#038;rdquo<\/a>; that allowed the assassination attempt. He sent letters to the Secret Service, DHS, DHS Office of Inspector General, Department of Justice, and FBI calling the current lack of information &ldquo;unacceptable.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cheatle <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/18\/secret-service-director-refuses-resign-continuity-operations-enabled-trump-assassin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ran away<\/a> from questions posed by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., on Wednesday at the Republican National Convention.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Chair of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, R-Ky., issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/18\/secret-service-director-refuses-resign-continuity-operations-enabled-trump-assassin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">subpoena<\/a> Wednesday for Cheatle to show up to a July 22 hearing regarding the assassination attempt.<\/p>\n<p>Cheatle <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/gopoversight\/status\/1814325460765135021?s=12&amp;t=RABm2Gz68BHEGRR9ZartiA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confirmed<\/a> Friday she will attend the hearing.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Logan Washburn is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawsuit-clark-county-keeps-commercial-addresses-on-voter-rolls\/\" title=\"Lawsuit: Clark County Keeps Commercial Addresses On Voter Rolls\">staff writer covering election integrity<\/a>. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo&#8217;s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whistleblower allegations suggest that federal officials planned former President Donald Trump&#8217;s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania with inadequate security measures. The rally resulted in a shooting that wounded the former president, injured two attendees, and killed firefighter Corey Comperatore. Senator Josh Hawley criticized the security lapses at the rally, citing allegations that the majority of Department of Homeland Security officials present were not Secret Service agents but Homeland Security Investigations agents who were unfamiliar with standard security protocols. Hawley accused DHS of not being transparent with Congress and vowed to continue investigating the incident. The House Judiciary Committee also raised concerns about security failures at the rally and the FBI&#8217;s ability to conduct a thorough investigation. Despite requests for increased security resources, Trump&#8217;s security detail was reportedly denied by DHS. The Secret Service&#8217;s handling of the situation, including the failure to place snipers on the shooter&#8217;s roof and the delayed response to the threat, has raised further questions about the security protocols in place. Senator Chuck Grassley announced an investigation into the security failure, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has been subpoenaed to testify at a hearing regarding the incident<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":2303429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image-20-e1595251543386.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35617,4856,3646,3634,14982],"class_list":["post-2303428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-butler-rally","tag-claims","tag-security","tag-trump","tag-whistleblowers"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image-20-e1595251543386.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2303428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2303428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2303428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2303429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2303428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2303428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2303428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}