July 30 (UPI) — Acting U.S. Secret Service director Ronald Rowe Jr. told a Senate committee Tuesday that he identified issues in the agency’s security at the site of the failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13.
Senators from the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees took part in the hearing, called the “Examination of the Security Failures Leading to the Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump.”
Trump’s security detail did not have “any knowledge” that there was a man with a firearm on the roof of a nearby building, according to Rowe. It was not until shots were fired that the security team, including Secret Service snipers, became aware of the shooter. Rowe later reiterated that the agency did not know there was an armed person at the rally.
Rowe testified that information about a potential security threat was “stuck” with local law enforcement and did not make it to Secret Service officers. If it had, he said agents would have addressed it more quickly.
“The only thing we had was that locals were working an issue at the three o’clock. Nothing about a man on the roof, nothing about a man with a gun,” he said. “It appears that information was stuck or siloed in that local channel.”
Lawmakers continued to press for more details on how the shooter — 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa. — was able to post himself on an adjacent building and what his motive was.
Images of the agency’s view of the roof where Crooks fired multiple shots were displayed to the senators. As they were examining the counter-snipers’ point of view, Rowe expressed frustration about not having better coverage of the roof.
Rowe explained that the view of Crooks was likely blocked by the roof. He was killed 15.5 seconds after firing his first shot.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate also testified. He said investigators recently discovered a social media account believed to be Crooks’.
“If ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect anti-Semitic and anti-immigration themes, to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature,” Abbate said.
The tense hearing became more heated as Rep. Rick Scott, R-Fla., derided Abbate for a lack of transparency, followed shortly by Rep. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., becoming combative with Rowe for not immediately firing those involved with security on July 13.
Rowe responded that an investigation must be completed and he will not rush to judgment before holding individuals accountable.
“This could have been our Texas School Book Depository,” Rowe responded. “I have lost sleep over that for the last 17 days, just like you have.”
Rowe examined the site of the rally in Butler, Pa. He testified that he “identified gaps” in security and that the agency is already working on fixing them.
“I will not wait for the results of those investigations,” Rowe said.
Rowe added that the agency will use drones and dispatch “experienced supervisors” to vet the security plans at events to prevent another gap in security.
One person was killed in the shooting and at least two more were injured.
Rowe was elevated to the role of acting director following the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle. She resigned after testifying to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee last week.
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and ranking Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., wrote in a joint letter to Cheatle that she “failed to provide answers to basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure.” The letter called on her to resign.
