Panel Calls for Overhaul of Secret Service Leadership Following Trump Assassination Attempt
An independent panel has released a critical report addressing the failures that led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump in July. This report, commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security, urges the Secret Service to replace its leadership with individuals from the private sector and to refocus its efforts predominantly on its protective mission.
The findings, made public on Thursday, highlight a series of deficiencies that had already begun to surface in the months following the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which took place on July 13. Notably, the report points to the Secret Service’s failure to secure a nearby building from where a would-be assassin fired eight shots in the direction of Mr. Trump. Panel members attributed these security lapses to a troubling absence of “critical thinking” among agents and their supervisors.
One of the more alarming observations made by the panel was the pervasive sense of “lack of ownership” exhibited by the agents interviewed. Those responsible for the security planning prior to the event did not take accountability for their roles, nor did they reflect on the failures that occurred afterward. The report indicates that they “have done little in the way of self-reflection in terms of identifying areas of missteps, omissions, or opportunities for improvement.”
The findings echo those from a previous panel convened in 2014, which was formed after a man successfully scaled the White House fence and entered the executive mansion. The recurrence of these issues, nearly a decade later, underscores the formidable challenge of reforming an agency with a deeply entrenched culture.
Janet Napolitano, a member of the four-person panel and former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2013, commented on the situation saying, “The service has become insular and stale. It is time for the service to kind of break out and to reach out beyond its own agency to bring in talent that can really take a fresh look at what it is they do, and how they do it.” Notably, in the past century, the agency has had only one director who was not promoted from within its ranks.
The panel, which conducted 58 interviews and reviewed over 7,000 documents, included prominent members such as Frances Fragos Townsend, who served as a homeland security adviser during the George W. Bush administration; David Mitchell, a veteran in law enforcement with over 50 years of experience; and Mark Filip, who held the position of deputy attorney general during the Bush administration. Their extensive research aimed at uncovering the roots of the agency’s persistent issues and providing actionable recommendations for meaningful reform.