Secret Service finds failures related to Trump shooting could merit discipline

The Secret Service on Thursday released its independent report on the first assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, and concluded that failures made by certain agents could warrant discipline. 

The United States Secret Service (USSS) conducted its own internal investigation into the alleged failures that led to the shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. The shooting resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, and three others were injured, including the former president.

The internal review concluded that there were issues with communication within the agency, which resulted in confusion regarding some of the duties among certain Secret Service personnel. There were also planning failures leading up to and during the Trump rally, per Fox News.

"[The investigation] identified several instances of behaviors and acts by multiple employees that warrant review for corrective counseling and, potentially, disciplinary action," a summary of the report said. "All Secret Service employees are held to a high standard of conduct in the performance of their duties when providing protection to those that entrust us with their well-being and the safety of their families." 

The report claimed the Secret Service did not have adequate control over the radio communications at the rally, and that some personnel who had been tapped for the rally did not feel adequately prepared because of a lack of instruction.

Unspecified agents also failed to relay certain important information through the radio communications, but did flag some of the information through text messages and phone calls. 

The service also failed to send adequate personnel to the building that the gunman, Thomas Mathew Crooks, fired from, even "after learning about a suspicious individual with a range finder" one hour before the shots were fired.

The report additionally noted that a lack of coordination with the Trump campaign resulted in personnel being diverted from security to respond to requests for medical assistance on site. There were over 200 medical issues that day, which featured high temperatures in the 90s.

The rally was a "failure for the Secret Service," the report concluded, which warranted "several operational, policy, and organizational changes, some because of the findings and recommendations of the Mission Assurance Inquiry, and others done proactively in the wake of the July 13 incident."

The full report will be shared with Congress.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.