Secret Service admits leaning on 'state and local partners' after claim it ignored Trump team's past requests
Secret Service says it works in 'challenging environments' in new statement
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. Secret Service responded Saturday night to a bombshell report that top officials repeatedly denied past pleas to beef up former President Trump's security detail, saying in a statement that it depends on "state or local partners" to fill in gaps when it can't accommodate such requests.
The report from the Washington Post came exactly a week after Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, while speaking at a rally, prior to his 2024 presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been observed by attendees before the shooting began.
The Post reported that, before the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, top Secret Service officials "repeatedly" denied requests for tighter security measures from Trump's detail. An official granted the interview to the media outlet on the condition of anonymity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the report, agents tasked with protecting Trump requested additional security resources in the past. These requests involved things such as magnetometers or a larger number of personnel to screen guests. Additional snipers had also reportedly been requested in the past.
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Butler, Pa., July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Senior officials reportedly told the agents that the Secret Service lacked the resources to fulfill the requests. The Post reviewed multiple requests, but none of them pertained specifically to the Butler rally.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Saturday night, the Secret Service released a statement obtained by Fox News Digital explaining that the agency "has a vast, dynamic, and intricate mission."
"Every day we work in a dynamic threat environment to ensure our protectees are safe and secure across multiple events, travel, and other challenging environments," the statement read. "We execute a comprehensive and layered strategy to balance personnel, technology, and specialized operational needs."
The Secret Service also added that, even if a request is denied, the agency still tries to accommodate in some form to ensure the safety of whoever is being protected.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by Secret Service agents after being shot on stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
"In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protected," the statement added. "This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protectee."
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi previously denied the report. "This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo," he previously wrote on X.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Investigations into the breakdowns that led to Trump being shot are underway by both the FBI and a Congressional committee. Questions have already been raised about a potential lack of communication between the state, local and federal workers who were charged with protecting Trump amid numerous reports members of the crowd saw Crooks on a rooftop and warned officials. In addition, there has been fingerprinting between the different levels of law enforcement that were on the scene.
In an interview that will premiere on Fox News Channel on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET, Trump told host Jesse Watters that he was never warned about Crooks, despite the fact that the gunman had been noticed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"How did somebody get on that roof?" Trump asked Watters. "And why wasn't he reported, because people saw he was on that roof."
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump raises his arm as he is rushed offstage by Secret Service in Butler, Pa. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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"When you have Trumpers screaming, the woman in the red shirt, 'There's a man on the roof,' and other people, 'There's a man on the roof and who's got a gun,'…that was quite a bit before I walked on the stage. And I would've thought someone would've done something about it," he added.