Soldier of Fortune Magazine The Journal of Professional Adventurers
COMMENTARY by Susan Katz Keating
The Secret Service must answer questions openly and fully – and to examine whether it encourages a culture that rejects scrutiny, and that wants outsiders to “shut up.”
Serious questions persist about the attack against Donald Trump on July 13, when a triggerman tried to assassinate the former president. Trump was holding a Pennsylvania campaign rally when he was wounded in a volley of gunfire that killed one man and injured two others. The 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired from atop a nearby building, and quickly was killed by law enforcement snipers. In the wake of the stunning incident, the public, the media, and politicians keep pressing for answers. The questions have brought an array of responses from officials – including one Secret Service agent who privately scolded me, and then openly expressed his disgust at the questioners overall.
Scrutiny should be directed at all of the actions and responses from the USSS, including the comments from the sole agent.
The agent posted Monday on social media:
“Sick of seeing all the Facebook warriors out there… saying we need answers now! No you don’t! Shut up don’t spread fake shit and let the investigation happen.“
The questions, though, really do need answers now. We are in the middle of a ribald campaign season, when our presidential candidates – or any public figure – conceivably could come within range of an assassin. We really do need immediate answers. How did the Pennsylvania perp manage to climb on top of his sniper perch, let alone fire off the shots that killed a man, wounded Trump, and hurt others? Did law enforcement at first mistake the would-be assassin for another LEO? Were people asleep at the wheel? Who dropped the ball, and why?
Arizona’s Rep. Ruben Gallego (D) said in a statement that the incident raised “grave concerns” about the measures taken to protect Trump, while Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee (R) wrote on social media that “any third grader would know that it’d be malpractice not to have personnel on the rooftop where the shooter was positioned.”
The U.S. Secret Service quite rightly is at the top of the query pile.
The House Homeland Security Committee announced it would bring officials in for an oversight hearing next week.
The USSS, for its part, has moved to quell concerns over security lapses, while expressing solidarity with local law enforcement.
“We are deeply grateful to the officers who ran towards danger to locate the gunman and to all our local partners for their unwavering commitment,” the Secret Service said on Tuesday.
The agency overall, though, has been defensive.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle says she does not plan to resign, even after she gave the implausible explanation that the “fire base” roof was left unguarded because it is too slanted.
“That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point,” Cheatle told ABC News. “And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.”
When I first raised my own questions about security lapses, I received no response from the USSS. But an agent messaged me privately, accusing journalists of “creating hate” via “mass negative media.”
Granted, some of the public discourse has featured some far-fetched scenarios. This is what happens when circumstances are alarming, and when explanations don’t make sense. But most questions are legitimate and serious.
The agent who messaged me privately apparently disagrees. He posted Monday on social media, openly writing what he thinks about people who want answers.
Social media user “Klongell” wrote on social media: “Sick of seeing all the Facebook warriors out there, spreading the fake theories out there, and media people and people saying we need answers now! No you don’t! Shut up don’t spread fake shit and let the investigation happen. People attacking USSS, I have no respect for you.”
I commented: “Are you saying that the media and politicians should not ask questions?”
He immediately blocked me, so I do not know whether he responded.
The agency previously has come under scrutiny for security lapses over the years. It also has been tagged for having a troubling internal culture. In my view, that culture seems to include a defensive posture that allowed at least one agent to come out swinging when people raise legitimate questions.
In 2014, an independent panel found that there was a “catastrophic failure of training” within the Secret Service. In 2021, the agency mandated that agents who protect the President and Vice President train for at least 12% of their work hours by FY 2025. These findings were listed in a 2022 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
The American people need to know whether these issues have been resolved. They also need to know why on Saturday the former president was protected only by divine intervention.
The Secret Service must answer openly and fully – and examine whether it encourages a culture that rejects scrutiny, and that wants outsiders to “shut up.”
Susan Katz Keating is the publisher and editor in chief at Soldier of Fortune.
