GAO Report Reveals Secret Service Failures Ahead of Trump Butler Assassination Attempt

A Government Accountability Office report has revealed critical failures by the Secret Service in the lead-up to the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. The agency received classified intelligence about a threat to Trump’s life 10 days before the event but failed to share this information with local law enforcement and Trump’s protective detail, leaving them unprepared. The report highlights numerous shortcomings including poor communication, inadequate training, misallocation of resources, and a lack of specific guidance for agents. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley criticized the Secret Service for years of mismanagement and noted that requests for enhanced security were denied by the Biden administration prior to the event. The attempt resulted in a shooter firing eight shots, grazing Trump and killing one attendee, with a counter-sniper ultimately neutralizing the threat. Critics like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna have accused the negligence of being intentional, while Trump himself acknowledged mistakes were made but survived and was re-elected.