Former Agent: Secret Service Failed to Secure Trump Despite Shooter Detection

The U.S. Secret Service failed in its primary mission to protect Donald Trump during a shooting incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, according to former agent Tim Miller. He stated that the agency's failures occurred despite the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, being detected with a weapon minutes before opening fire.

"The Secret Service has a mission that cannot fail. But they failed in Butler. The failure occurred in fundamental aspects, such as line-of-sight security, rooftop control, intelligence coordination, and tactical coordination," Miller told GB News.

Miller's assessment is supported by an official report from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG). The report found that the Secret Service was aware that Thomas Matthew Crooks was armed and in a shooting position approximately two minutes before he fired eight shots at Trump, with one bullet grazing the president's right ear.

The OIG report concluded that weak internal policies, limited intelligence sharing, and poor coordination between the Secret Service and local law enforcement contributed to the failure. Consequently, information about developing threats was not promptly relayed to Trump's security detail. The report also highlighted the Secret Service's failure to detect Crooks' drone, used for reconnaissance before the shooting, and noted operator errors and delayed repairs to damaged equipment.