Cassidy, Marshall, Tuberville, Colleagues Demand Trump Has Same Protection as Biden After Second Assassination Attempt

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and five Republican colleagues called for additional protective resources to President Donald Trump's security detail following the second assassination attempt against President Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida on September 15th.

In a letter to acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, the senators are demanding the same level of protection as President Biden and Vice President Harris, and also asking for answers as to why the Secret Service has failed to allocate sufficient resources to President Trump's security detail. This is the second failed attempt on President Trump's life over the past two months. To date, the Secret Service has failed to address the security failures that led to the tragic events in Butler County, PA on July 13th, nor has anyone been fired for the top-down mistakes that were made.

"President Trump does not have the Secret Service protective detail commensurate with the existing threat environment," wrote the senators. "It is imperative that the USSS detail assigned to President Trump be afforded additional protective resources, including greater staffing capabilities that would allow agents to secure a broader perimeter. These measures would better safeguard President Trump's life and help ease concerns that there will be additional attempts made."

"We request that you take the following actions… Designate President Trump as a protectee with the same level of protective resources afforded to a sitting president," added the senators.

Cassidy, Marshall, and Tuberville were joined by U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) in signing the letter.

Read the full letter here or below:

Dear Acting Director Rowe,

We write to you to highlight the resource deficiency apparent in President Trump's United States Secret Service (USSS) protective detail. The events of September 15, 2024, where a would-be assassin accessed a location approximately 400 yards away from President Trump and laid in wait for approximately 12 hours before taking aim, compound the conclusion the American public drew from the earlier July 13, 2024, attempt on President Trump's life. Put simply, President Trump does not have the Secret Service protective detail commensurate with the existing threat environment.

We commend USSS agents for their actions taken on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The agent who first noticed the rifle barrel sticking through the fence displayed great courage and bravery in his decision to fire on the suspected assassin. The coordination and communication then exemplified by USSS and eyewitnesses in the direct proximity of the suspect allowed local law enforcement to swiftly arrest the alleged perpetrator.

Because of their actions, President Trump, as well as other innocent bystanders, were able to escape without harm and avert the bloodshed that America witnessed in Butler County,

Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. On that day, USSS failures to secure the AGR building, adequately communicate with law enforcement, and command a broad enough perimeter to preclude threats from obtaining a clear line of vision to the stage, allowed the gunman to shoot President Trump and tragically kill Corey Comperatore. Like the July 13th event, the gunman on September 15th was able to access the security perimeter surrounding President Trump and wait for the President to enter his line of sight. These USSS agents need more protective resources to succeed in their mission that cannot fail.

President Trump's team has acknowledged that he is operating with a detail unequal to the threat environment and has repeatedly appealed to the USSS for more protective resources. On July 20th, the Washington Post reported that the Trump campaign and the agents charged with protecting President Trump "requested magnetometers and more agents to screen attendees at sporting events and other large public gatherings Trump attended, as well as additional snipers and specialty teams at other outdoor events." Additional requests for which the Trump campaign requested more protective USSS resources include a July 2023 outdoor rally in Pickens, South Carolina, and multiple times when President Trump has attended sporting events, such as football games and wrestling matches.

Previously, the USSS has rejected these requests, claiming staffing shortages, hiring limits and assessing gatherings as "not campaign events."4 Other law enforcement personnel have admitted that the size of President Trump's security is smaller than it would be were he the sitting president. We acknowledge that there are robust procedures in place that the USSS uses to allocate protective resources, but continuing to neglect President Trump's detail and requests at this point could arguably constitute malfeasance, given the events of the last three months.

It is imperative that the USSS detail assigned to President Trump be afforded additional protective resources, including greater staffing capabilities that would allow agents to secure abroader perimeter. These measures would better safeguard President Trump's life and help ease concerns that there will be additional attempts made. For this reason, we request that you take the following actions and provide answers to the questions below by September 27, 2024.

1. Designate President Trump as a protectee with the same level of protective resources afforded to a sitting president.
2. Provide a briefing to Members of Congress and staff regarding the attempts against President Trump's life, the ongoing threat environment, and how the USSS will continue to operate successfully in their no-fail mission.
3. On July 15, 2024, your boss, Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, reported that the "Secret Service enhanced former President Trump's protection." What additional protective resources did this order allocate, and how did the USSS further enhance President Trump's protection? If this information cannot be divulged in a public forum, please provide a classified briefing to Members of Congress and their cleared staff.
4. Following the assassination attempt on September 15, 2024, President Biden issued a written statement stating that he had directed his team to "ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President's continued safety." What additional protective resources will this order allocate, and how will the USSS further ensure President Trump's protection? Will this order from President Biden provide for President Trump to be considered a sitting president in terms of protective resources allocations?

We appreciate your swift attention to this matter and look forward to receiving your responses.

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