Secret Service denied requests for more security resources at Trump events before attempted assassination
The Secret Service repeatedly denied requests for more personnel and other security resources from agents guarding former President Donald Trump prior to the assassination attempt on the candidate at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a Secret Service official told NBC News.
The Secret Service repeatedly denied requests for more personnel and other security resources from agents guarding former President Donald Trump prior to the assassination attempt on the candidate at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a Secret Service official told NBC News.
The earlier requests for additional resources, which stretched over two years, could not be fully accommodated because the Secret Service lacked the resources to fulfill them, the official said.
“The Secret Service has a vast, dynamic, and intricate mission. Every day we work in a dynamic threat environment to ensure our protectees are safe and secure across multiple events, travel, and other challenging environments,” said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service. “We execute a comprehensive and layered strategy to balance personnel, technology, and specialized operational needs.”
“In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protectee,” he added. “This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protectee.”
The day after Trump was wounded by a 20-year-old gunman, Guglielmi said claims that resource requests from Trump’s Secret Service detail had been denied were “absolutely false.”
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