The United States Secret Service is facing urgent calls for reform after a report published on Thursday (Oct 17) revealed “deep flaws” within the agency, warning that future assassination attempts like the one at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rally could happen again if changes are not made swiftly.
An independent panel, investigating the shooting incident on July 13, published its findings on Thursday, saying that the agency has become “bureaucratic, complacent, and static.” The 52-page report suggested a complete overhaul of leadership and pointed to a “number of specific failures and breakdowns” that contributed to the attack on the former US president.
“The Secret Service must be the world’s leading governmental protective organisation. The events at Butler on July 13 demonstrate that, currently, it is not,” the report said.
The Secret Service has already acknowledged some mistakes, and its director stepped down just weeks after the shooting.
In a statement released on Thursday, Secret Service’s acting director Ronald Rowe said the agency would thoroughly review the new report. “We have already significantly improved our readiness, operational and organisational communications and implemented enhanced protective operations for the former president,” Rowe said.
The report, compiled by state and national law enforcement officials, highlighted several leadership and cultural issues. These included a “troubling lack of critical thinking” among staff and an unwillingness to “speak up.”
The panel identified these issues as “systemic or cultural” and called for “fundamental reform,” which includes replacing key figures in leadership “as soon as possible.”
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the panel warned, “Without that reform… another Butler can and will happen again.”
The review was ordered by US President Joe Biden after a man in his 20s attempted to assassinate Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired eight shots from a nearby rooftop, killing one individual and injuring Trump, who sustained a minor ear injury. The Secret Service fatally shot Crooks during the incident.
On Thursday, the panel also recommended “a mandate that all outdoor events are observed by overhead technology.”
(With inputs from agencies)
