The security failures that nearly cost Donald Trump his life two years ago remain under scrutiny as later alleged plots against his life continue to raise concerns about presidential protection.
On July 13, 2024, Trump was rushed offstage by Secret Service agents after gunfire grazed his upper right ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attack came months before Trump's re-election and preceded a series of later alleged attempts against his life.
At the time of the attack, Trump was mid-sentence, pointing to a chart on illegal immigration under the Biden administration. Authorities identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired from the roof of a nearby building. Secret Service agents tackled Trump to the ground, and the gunman was later killed by a Secret Service sniper.
A report from the Office of Inspector General found that the U.S. Secret Service "missed multiple opportunities" to prevent or disrupt the assassination attempt due to communication failures and other security lapses.
The report cited a lack of policy and processes, limited intelligence sharing, and poor collaboration and communication with protectee staff and state and local law enforcement as contributing factors to the missed opportunities. It also found that the Secret Service failed to warn Trump's protective detail that Crooks had a rangefinder and a long gun and had climbed onto the roof of a nearby building.
Trump's security has remained under scrutiny since he returned to office, amid later alleged assassination attempts against his life. In September 2024, authorities arrested Ryan Wesley Routh after a Secret Service agent spotted him with a rifle near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
In April of this year, there was an assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, where a shooter attempted to break into the ballroom. Reports this week said Israeli intelligence warned U.S. officials about a new Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.
Trump warned Iran Friday that the United States would "decimate and destroy" the country if Tehran carried out an assassination attempt against him. The U.S. Secret Service has not directly commented on the reports.
