The News
The US Secret Service is facing unprecedented scrutiny as a series of investigations seek to determine how a lone gunman was able to fire multiple shots at Donald Trump from a rooftop less than 500 feet from the former president at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
President Joe Biden called for an “independent review” of the rally’s security measures, and the director of the Secret Service is set to testify in Congress next week.
House Speaker Mike Johnson promised a “full investigation” of the shooting, while Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego said in a letter to the Secret Service that this was a “security failure at the highest level, not seen since the attempted assassination of President Reagan.”
SIGNALS
Investigations to focus on Secret Service’s preparation for the event
The Secret Service’s preparations to secure the area around Trump’s rally is likely to be the main focus of investigations. Law enforcement told CNN that there will be a review of whether the agency had enough resources to adequately protect Trump and whether all protocols were followed to conduct security sweeps of the building the gunman fired from. Questions also persist over reports that local law enforcement had spotted the shooter acting suspiciously, about how he got onto a roof that was reportedly identified by the Secret Service as a security risk before the event, and whether agents acted quickly enough once the shooting started. “How could somebody get 130 yards away without being recognized?” one attendee told The Wall Street Journal. “We couldn’t even park within a mile.”
Security to be boosted for the rest of the campaign amid fears of further violence
The shooting could upend the rest of the presidential election cycle, as security is expected to tighten drastically on the Trump and Biden campaigns. Outdoor events could become less common, and the Trump campaign has advised its staffers to avoid their campaign offices in Washington and Florida “as they assess both locations.” “Extremists have been seizing on this incident,” NBC News’ Ken Dilanian said, and experts have warned that there is a growing risk of copycat attacks or violent far-right retaliation. Congress members Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler said they will introduce legislation that would provide more protection for presidential candidates.
Trump to push message of unity after shooting
In the wake of the shooting, the Trump campaign has said it will push a message of unity at this week’s Republican National Convention. Trump told the Washington Examiner that he was planning to deliver a “humdinger” of a speech attacking Joe Biden’s policies, “but honestly it’s going to be a whole different speech now.” Trump’s team has reached out to convention speakers asking them not to blame Democrats for the shooting, and instead focus on the party’s key messages on the border, economy, and crime. Even so, emotions are running high among Trump’s allies and the former president’s instincts to lash out when attacked could make this a tough pivot to pull off, Politico reported.