Tommy Tuberville
09/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2024 19:51
Tuberville, Marshall Demand Accountability from Secret Service Leadership Following Second Attempt to Assassinate President Trump
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) sent a letter to U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. imploring the agency to increase President Trump's security following the latest assassination attempt on his life. In the letter, the senators commend the Secret Service for their swift action to protect President Trump but highlight that more action is needed to protect him.
"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," the Senators wrote.
The letter was also signed by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL).
Read the full letter below or here.
"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 establish a direct line of sight to the President. 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." 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 a broader 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.
- Designate President Trump as a protectee with the same level of protective resources afforded to a sitting president.
- 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.
- On July 15, 2024, your boss, Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, reported that the "Secret Service enhanced former President Trump's protection."6 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.
- 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."7 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.
Sincerely,"
BACKGROUND:
Senator Tuberville is a leading voice in the Senate demanding accountability from the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the assassination attempts on President Trump's life. In the aftermath of the first assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, Senator Tuberville called for the firing of now-former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle-who has since resigned. Senator Tuberville will continue to urge the Biden-Harris administration to provide the resources necessary to ensure the safety of the former, and possiblefuture, President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
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