Secret Service Failed to Share Trump Threat Before Butler Assassination Attempt

A Government Accountability Office report reveals that senior-level U.S. Secret Service officials were aware of a classified threat to President Donald Trump's life ten days before the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally but failed to share this critical intelligence with the federal and local law enforcement agencies responsible for securing the event. The report, commissioned by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, highlights numerous procedural and planning failures within the Secret Service, including poor communication, lack of training, and misallocation of resources, which contributed to an unsecure environment that allowed the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, to fire a near-fatal shot at Trump, kill a local firefighter, and injure others. Despite having counter-snipers positioned with a clear view of the shooter, agents did not act, partly due to flawed security protocols and misjudgments about the threat level and building safety. The Secret Service's siloed information-sharing practices meant those on the ground were unaware of the threat, preventing them from requesting additional protective measures such as ballistic glass and drone mitigation. The GAO report offers eight recommendations aimed at improving intelligence sharing and resource allocation to prevent future security breaches. Chairman Grassley emphasized the report's importance for accountability and urged reforms to ensure such a failure does not recur.