Secret Service didn't properly train HSI agents to secure Trump rally, whistleblower claims
Whistleblower allegations provided to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., contend federal agents were improperly trained before partnering with the U.S. Secret Service to provide security at the July 13 rally where former President Donald Trump was nearly killed, an allegation the Secret Service disputes.
On Wednesday, the Missouri lawmaker sent a letter to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe regarding the whistleblower's claims about the Homeland Security Investigations agents working with the Secret Service on the day of Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The whistleblower alleged that the only training the Secret Service provided the HSI agents consisted of a two-hour webinar on Microsoft Teams.
Hawley has been one of the most outspoken lawmakers seeking answers regarding the attempt on Trump's life during the rally. The incident has raised questions about how 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed an elevated rooftop and succeeded in taking a shot at the former president.
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HSI agents had been newly assigned to the protective mission, according to the whistleblower, who claimed that the playback for the pre-recorded training videos was riddled with technical mishaps.
"'Imagine 1,000 people logging onto Microsoft Teams at the same time after being informed at the last minute that everyone needed to login individually,'" the whistleblower told Hawley's office. "Once it got rolling, the Secret Service instructor couldn't figure out how to get the audio working on the prerecorded videos (which I'm told are the same videos as last year). All told, they restarted the videos approximately six times. … The content was not helpful.'"
The whistleblower alleged that the agency had not updated its training videos since the attempted assassination during the Pennsylvania rally.
In his letter to Rowe, Hawley reiterated additional allegations that more HSI agents were present at the rally than Secret Service members.
"[A]ll of these allegations together suggest that a significant number of personnel tasked with providing security for former President Trump at the July 13 rally were egregiously under-prepared by the Secret Service to carry out this mission," Hawley stated. "Moreover, these latest whistleblower allegations contend HSI agents were pulled off child exploitation cases in order to serve on protective details for which they were unprepared."
In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a Secret Service spokesperson clarified that those responsible for guarding Trump were all part of the agency, saying it partners with HSI and local law enforcement to help with security at events. The spokesperson stressed there is a difference between physically guarding the president and securing the venue.
In the Wednesday letter, Hawley requested that Rowe address questions regarding the number of HSI agents present at the Butler rally and how many were trained for protective detail through a webinar.
The lawmaker asked for a copy of the curriculum and whether there have been any changes to the training since the shooting at the July 13 event. Rowe is also asked to clarify whether HSI agents had been pulled off child exploitation cases and reassigned to help with event security.
While the former president was not killed at the rally, the bullet pierced his ear, in addition to wounding two other event attendees and killing another. Following bipartisan calls for her resignation, former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down from her position one day after testifying on Capitol Hill about the assassination attempt.
"I take full responsibility for the security lapse," Cheatle wrote in an email to staff. "In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
