Department of Homeland Security inspector general investigates Butler rally security detail
The investigation follows concerns about Donald Trump's protective detail during the event in Pennsylvania where he nearly lost his life
Thomas Matthew Crooks shooting at Trump from a rooftop.
The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general opened an investigation into the Secret Service and the team in charge of security at Trump's rally in Butler, Pa. The investigation will look into the management of the the event in which the Republican candidate was attacked and one person was killed from shots fired by Thomas Matthew Crooks.
The inspector general's investigation comes after many voices accused the Secret Service of not doing its job properly. Several testimonies and graphic evidence point to the fact that the security services in charge of the event left some loose ends that allowed Crooks to shoot at the former president and rally attendees.
In a brief notice posted on the inspector general's website, the agency said the purpose of the probe is to "Assess the U.S. Secret Service's process for securing former President Trump's July 13, 2024, campaign event."
Kimberly Cheatle under the microscope
This Monday, Cheatle did an exclusive interview with ABC News, in which she addressed reports that officers had seen the shooter before the attack last Saturday, as well as the growing wave of criticism over her handling of the incident.
"Seeking that person out, finding them, identifying them, and eventually neutralizing them took place in a very short period of time, and it makes it very difficult," the Secret Service director said justifying the botched operation that left a shooter with a direct line of sight to Trump. "It was obviously a situation that as a Secret Service agent, no one ever wants to occur in their career," she added.
During the interview, Cheatle called the assassination attempt "unacceptable" and admitted that "the buck stops with me." However, all indications are that for her the mistake that ended the life of one person in the audience and nearly ended the life of the former president are not sufficient grounds for resignation.
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