Butler rally was the first event Secret Service deployed counter snipers to Trump detail: acting director

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Retired Green Beret appointed to Trump task force talks shooting probe

Rep. Mike Waltz spoke with Fox News Digital about the July 13 Trump rally shooting and the House's bipartisan task force investigating the assassination attempt on the former president.

Former President Trump was afforded extra protection the day his ear was grazed by a bullet, according to a top security official. 

"It was the first time Secret Service counter snipers were deployed to support the former president's detail," Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. revealed during a press conference Friday afternoon.

"The former president at campaign rallies has actually been getting state and local resources — tactical assets, counter snipers from state and locals. So, with respect to why they were there in Butler, we evaluate our threat landscape every day. We calibrate based on that threat. We evaluated a threat stream that we have, and we put our Secret Service counter sniper personnel out there."

Trump was shot in the ear by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks while speaking during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13.

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Former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, reacts as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pa., July 13, 2024.  (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

Since the shooting, various new details have emerged regarding the event, including texts that showed officers were aware of Crooks 90 minutes before the shooting.

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Soon after, the House of Representatives held a hearing to question Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who stepped down due to mounting pressure from both Democrats and Republicans.  

Following the hearing, the House launched a bipartisan task force to further investigate the assassination attempt. The task force is led by Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., whose district includes the site of the shooting, and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a retired Army Ranger.

Former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, is rushed offstage during a rally July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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The panel also includes several other members, including Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn.; Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla.; Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; and Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md.