Cannot Defend Why Roof at Trump Rally Was Not Secured: Acting Secret Service Boss

Washington: Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe has stated he “cannot defend” the lack of security on the roof used by the gunman in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Rowe, testifying before two Senate committees, expressed shame after visiting the Pennsylvania shooting site.

The FBI's second-highest official revealed that the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had a social media account that promoted political violence and contained antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiments from 2019 and 2020, when Crooks was in high school.

Senate lawmakers are pressing officials about lapses in law enforcement before the assassination attempt, with Rowe, who became acting director last week following Kimberly Cheatle's resignation, and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate appearing before the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees.

Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the lack of accountability, stating, “If this happened in the military, a lot of people would be fired,” and adding, “Nothing's going to change until somebody loses their job.” This hearing follows the FBI's release of details indicating Crooks researched mass shootings and other violent acts online. Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI and was reportedly struck by a bullet fragment during the attack.

Most questions at the hearing are directed at Rowe as lawmakers seek answers on how Crooks managed to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building about 135 meters (147 yards) from where Trump was speaking. The shooting resulted in one death and two injuries; Crooks was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

Cheatle, who resigned last week, described the attempt on Trump’s life as the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades. She acknowledged multiple warnings about Crooks and the vulnerability of the roof and apologized to Trump in a phone call after the attack.

In a Fox News interview, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him but criticized the lack of security on the roof and the communication issues with local police. “They didn't speak to each other,” he said, praising the sniper’s “amazing shot” but noting, “It would have been good if it was nine seconds sooner.”

(With inputs from AP)