Traditional American media outlets have been questioning the Secret Service’s actions following the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump.
Images recorded by participants in the rally last Saturday (13), in Pennsylvania, show that the perpetrator of the attack against the Republican candidate was identified about two minutes before opening fire.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday (15) that the agency “will participate fully” in an independent review ordered by President Joe Biden and also said the agency will work with Congress on “any oversight action.”
See below some of the questions circulating in the United States.
Wall Street Journal
O New York Centennial Wall Street Journal (WSJ) called the Trump assassination attempt “the most stunning Secret Service failure in decades.”
“At the center of what will be a torrent of investigations: How did a lone gunman in his 20s manage to take up an exposed shooting position on an open rooftop, not much more than a football field away from the former president?” the report wrote.
A former deputy assistant director of the Secret Service, interviewed by the WSJ, said there was “no excuse” for the service not being able to provide enough resources to cover an open roof 100 yards away.
Washington Post
One of the most traditional periodicals in the country, Washington Post pointed out that the attack on Trump It was the first assassination attempt on an American president since 1981, when Ronald Reagan was attacked.
The newspaper noted that securing the roof of a building surrounding the event is “one of the most basic preparations for public speaking events,” and the Secret Service’s failure “raised questions about personnel, strategy and leadership.”
The Post interviewed former CIA Director Leon Panetta, who said that “the Biden administration should urgently assess the flaws in Trump’s rally to prevent another attack in the coming months, as the country remains deeply divided in the run-up to November’s election.”
New York Times
Investigative and Political reporters of the New York Times (NYT) pointed out in a report that the building where the shooter was located was “an obvious security risk” but was left outside the security perimeter.
Former federal law enforcement officials interviewed by the NYT said that “the Secret Service should have ensured that the building was secure before the rally took place.”
Jeffrey James, a 22-year Secret Service veteran, added that counter-sniper teams are trained to shoot at 1,000 yards (914 meters) and monitor areas at that distance. Trump’s shooter was about 150 meters (490 feet) from the former president, which may have delayed detection: “As a sniper, you don’t expect someone to be that close.”
New York Post
The New York Post, which conducted Trump’s first post-attack interview, published an article reflecting the views of its Editorial Board titled “America Needs Answers About Secret Service Failure: Let the Subpoenas Fly.”
“Trump’s close protectors did their job, but the fact that Thomas Crooks was able to climb onto the roof, less than 200 yards from the podium, and fire approximately eight shots at the former president — as onlookers screamed for authorities to do something — is damning,” the editorial wrote.
“Clearly, the security detail was very thin: the latest reports are that the Secret Service relied heavily on borrowed local police officers — in rural Pennsylvania! — for the event,” he added.
“House Speaker Mike Johnson and the heads of the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees are promising a full investigation into what went wrong on Saturday. Let the subpoenas be served: America needs answers, and there is no sign that the Biden administration will be willing to provide them,” the text concluded.
USA Today
One of the largest circulation newspapers in the US, USA Today featured a report by its Veteran National Security Correspondent Josh Meyerwhich analyzes “what appears to be an epic failure of one of the primary duties” of the agency responsible for the security of important officials.
“Some of those questions: How did Donald Trump’s would-be assassin gain such a high vantage point to fire a potentially fatal shot into the former president’s head? Why didn’t Secret Service counter-sniper teams neutralize Crooks before he fired so many rounds from his high-powered rifle, killing one Trump rally attendee and wounding two others?” he wrote.
“Furthermore, if Crooks was flagged by local authorities for acting suspiciously, as some media outlets have reported, why was he able to climb a nearby building with a rifle, firing a shot that grazed Trump’s ear? And why did Secret Service agents allow Trump to stand defiantly and punch the air three times when it was not clear that the threat had been fully neutralized?”
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times also raised similar questions. “A big question is whether the Secret Service or local police had secured nearby buildings before Trump began speaking,” wrote a newspaper report.
“The building where the shooter was positioned was outside the perimeter [de segurança] of the rally, but experts said authorities would normally still protect him,” he added.
The newspaper also highlights that requests for a thorough investigation into the Secret Service’s actions in this event “came from both Republicans and Democrats.”
Other US presidents and presidential candidates have been shot
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
