{"id":2331649,"date":"2024-08-27T11:25:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-27T15:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-secret-service-agent-blasts-agencys-incompetence\/"},"modified":"2024-08-27T11:27:14","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T15:27:14","slug":"former-secret-service-agent-blasts-agencys-incompetence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-secret-service-agent-blasts-agencys-incompetence\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Secret Service Agent Blasts Agency&#8217;s &#8216;Incompetence&#8217;"},"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\">14<\/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%2Fformer-secret-service-agent-blasts-agencys-incompetence%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=2331649&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>On August 26, a \u200bforum \u200dwas held by \u2064Republican\u2064 Representatives\u200b Cory Mills \u200cand Eli\u2064 Crane,\u2063 focusing on the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. \u2064The forum featured \u2063testimonies\u2064 from various witnesses, including former \u200cSecret Service agent Dan Bongino, ex-Navy\u2064 SEAL Erik Prince, and SWAT \u2063operator\u200d Ben Shaffer, \u200bwho discussed the\u200b failures of the Secret\u200c Service on that day. Bongino suggested that the multiple failures could not\u2062 simply be attributed to incompetence, implying a possibility of intent behind their\u200b actions. Shaffer highlighted that the Secret Service rejected crucial resources, such as encrypted radios and a drone offered\u200c by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-time-to-disarm-all-fbi-agents-and-return-authority-to-local-law-enforcement\/\" title=\"Disarm FBI agents, empower local law enforcement.\">local\u200c law enforcement<\/a>, and noted their absence\u200d at a \u200dcritical\u200c morning \u200dbriefing. The agents also failed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mysterious-man-arrives-in-us-with-no-passport-ticket-or-recollection-of-how-he-boarded-the-flight\/\" title=\"Man arrives in US mysteriously, lacking passport, ticket, or memory of boarding flight\">address potential vulnerabilities<\/a>\u2064 such as\u200b a\u200b shooter\u2019s access\u200c to the roof and nearby \u200cwater\u200c tower. Rep. Mills questioned whether these lapses could merely \u2062be considered incompetence,\u200b pointing to the\u200d inadequate communication \u2063and\u2064 failure to \u2064respond effectively in the face\u200b of a known threat.  <\/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>When asked if the multiple failures of the Secret Service on the day of former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s assassination attempt could be chalked up to mere incompetence, former United States Secret Service Special Agent Dan Bongino said that &ldquo;layered incompetence always means intent.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The key question is whether this was your run-of-the-mill incompetence&rdquo;  or whether this was &ldquo;something darker and more devious,&rdquo; Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said in the forum at The Heritage Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>The forum was led by Reps. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Eli Crane, R-Ariz., on Aug. 26 as part of their independent investigation. Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, joined Crane and Mills. The witnesses, Dan Bongino (former United States Secret Service special agent), Erik Prince (former United States Navy SEAL officer), and Ben Shaffer (Washington Regional SWAT operator), answered questions concerning the recent assassination attempt of Donald Trump.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ben Shaffer revealed that the Secret Service not only failed to meet basic protective measures but turned down several resources offered to them.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The form of communications would have been some type of encrypted law enforcement-style radio,&rdquo; said Shaffer. He explained how the Secret Service was offered radios to relay information between the on-site officers and the command center that they turned down, choosing to use cell phones instead. According to Ben Shaffer, there is also normally an officer who is physically present to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-desantis-torches-biden-for-being-passive-on-world-stage-leaving-middle-america-behind\/\" title=\"WATCH: DeSantis Torches Biden For Being \u2018Passive On World Stage,\u2019 Leaving Middle America Behind\">make quick decisions<\/a> so there is no delay or risk of technical difficulties, but this was not the case on July 13.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the Secret Service failed to accept a drone they were offered by local law enforcement, failed to show up to the morning briefing, made no effort to gain access to the roof that was utilized by the shooter, and made no effort to investigate the nearby water tower, another possible vulnerability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Do you believe that you can just chalk up to mere incompetence that the Secret Service did not attend the 9:00 [briefing] meant for scheduling purposes?&rdquo; Mills asked Bongino. Mills went on to ask the same question about an entire series of failures, noting that the Secret Service had serious communications problems, &ldquo;that they identified Crooks about an hour ahead of time,&rdquo; that Trump was not removed from the stage, &ldquo;that the perimeter did not include&rdquo; the building used by Crooks, that &ldquo;there was no drone being flown and that the drone was turned down by the Secret Service.&rdquo; &ldquo;Was it just incompetence?&rdquo; Mills asked repeatedly.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you had just ended with your first statement and said, &lsquo;Well, we may have just screwed up the perimeter,&rsquo; you could maybe attribute it to ignorance. [But] layered incompetence always means intent,&rdquo; Bongino responded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The former Secret Service special agent described his experience working in the Secret Service when the organization was not politically motivated: &ldquo;When I was there, it was definitely not a political enterprise. &hellip; I never once, working for President Clinton, Bush, and Obama, had anyone even remotely implicate political motive for any decision whatsoever. However, from the commentary directed at some of the agents in charge of the Donald Trump detail &hellip; clearly it appears that, for the first time in American history, we have a Secret Service that is making decisions that may not be all political, but may have a political tinge to them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Due to the security failures of the Secret Service at Trump&rsquo;s rally on July 13, any terrorist organization would have successfully achieved Trump&rsquo;s assassination, according to Erik Prince.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Thank God that 20-year-old &hellip; aimed at a headshot at President Trump, because if he&rsquo;d aimed center mass, President Trump would probably be dead. &hellip; A Hezbollah team, or ISIS, or you name the terrorist organization that actually knows what they&rsquo;re doing, would have been successful that day,&rdquo; said Prince.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This was the first of a number of forums in the House Republicans&rsquo; independent investigation of the assassination attempt. &ldquo;We need to get further transparency and accountability for the American people,&rdquo; Mills said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When questioned about the numerous shortcomings of the Secret Service during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, former Secret Service Special Agent Dan Bongino stated that &#8220;layered incompetence always implies intent.&#8221; Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., emphasized at a forum hosted by The Heritage Foundation that it is crucial to determine if these failures were simply typical incompetence or indicative of something more sinister. The event took place on August 26 and was organized by Reps. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Eli Crane, R-Ariz., as part of their independent inquiry into the incident. They were joined by Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Chip Roy, R-Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Witnesses included Bongino, Erik Prince (a former Navy SEAL), and Ben Shaffer (a SWAT operator), who addressed questions regarding Trump&#8217;s recent assassination attempt. Shaffer disclosed that the Secret Service not only neglected essential protective protocols but also rejected several resources offered to them. He noted that they declined an offer for encrypted law enforcement-style radios for communication between on-site officers and command center personnel in favor of using cell phones instead.<\/p>\n<p>Shaffer pointed out that typically there would be an officer present to make swift decisions to avoid delays or technical issues; however, this was not implemented on July 13. Furthermore, he mentioned that the Secret Service turned down a drone provided by local law enforcement assistance; they failed to attend a morning briefing; did not investigate access points like the roof used by the shooter or nearby vulnerabilities such as a water tower.<\/p>\n<p>Mills pressed Bongino with questions about whether these lapses could merely be attributed to incompetence\u2014specifically referencing missed briefings and significant communication failures leading up to Trump&#8217;s appearance where he remained unprotected despite prior knowledge of potential threats.<\/p>\n<p>Bongino responded that while one might attribute initial mistakes solely to ignorance if it had ended there, &#8220;layered incompetence always means intent.&#8221; He reflected on his time in the Secret Service when political motivations did not influence operations: \u201cDuring my tenure under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama&#8230; I never encountered any political motives affecting decisions.\u201d However, he noted concerning comments directed at agents responsible for Trump\u2019s security suggested possible political influences for their actions.<\/p>\n<p>Erik Prince added his perspective stating that due to these security oversights during Trump\u2019s rally on July 13th any terrorist group could have successfully executed an attack against him: \u201cThank God this 20-year-old aimed for a headshot because had he aimed center mass&#8230; President Trump would likely be dead.\u201d He asserted organizations like Hezbollah or ISIS would have succeeded given those circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>This forum marked just one part of House Republicans&#8217; ongoing independent investigation into the assassination attempt with Mills asserting their goal is increased transparency and accountability for American citizens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3242,"featured_media":2331650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-Untitled-77.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[39362,36155,10362,34163,3646],"class_list":["post-2331649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-former-agent","tag-government-accountability","tag-incompetence","tag-secret-service","tag-security"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-Untitled-77.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331649","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\/3242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2331649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2331649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2331650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2331649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2331649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2331649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}