Analysis of Secret Service Failures in the Trump Assassination Attempt

The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday has led to widespread criticism of the Secret Service, which is tasked with protecting current and former U.S. presidents and presidential candidates. Observers have pointed out glaring errors in the protection of President Trump. The fact that he was so shot by a sniper from a distance of only 130 meters, from an easily visible and obvious position, highlights significant security failures. Mainstream media outlets are conducting interviews and publishing analyses of the various failures of the Secret Service in this incident. This article amalgamates the numerous failures outlined by experts and reported by multiple media sources.

Rooftop Security Lapses

A significant failure was the shooter’s ability to access the rooftop of the American Glass Research building, just 130 meters (140 yards) from where Trump was speaking. The U.S. Army’s primary manual on physical and executive security, FM 3-19.30 (formerly FM 19-30), outlines critical steps that were overlooked in this case. These include conducting a thorough tactical analysis to identify strategic points and potential threat areas, and performing detailed reconnaissance to gather real-time information through site surveys and intelligence resources. Ignoring these essential procedures likely contributed to the security breach that allowed the shooter to position himself with a clear line of sight to the former president. Furthermore, despite the presence of Secret Service counter-sniper teams, the shooter managed to open fire before being neutralized. This shows a major lapse in the advance security sweeps and the failure to eliminate sight lines to the stage.