A retired Secret Service agent has called the shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania a "catastrophic failure of communications." Mike Matranga questions why former President Trump was cleared to take the stage despite a "person of interest" being identified beforehand.
A retired U.S. Secret Service agent has raised concerns about the security measures at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, where a person of interest was identified beforehand but the former president was allowed to take the stage despite this knowledge.
Catastrophic Communication Failure: Former Secret Service Agent Questions Trump Rally Incident
Mike Matranga, the retired agent, appeared on "America's Newsroom" on Thursday and expressed his bewilderment at the decision to clear Trump for the stage. "Why the rush? Why push him on stage? Why not delay?" Matranga questioned.
The incident occurred on Saturday at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement had identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as a "person of interest" after observing suspicious behavior and determining he had a golf range finder.
Catastrophic Communication Failure: Former Secret Service Agent Questions Trump Rally Incident
According to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, Crooks was only identified as a threat when he retrieved a weapon and climbed onto the roof of a building just prior to the shooting. However, Matranga maintains that the initial identification as a person of interest should have prompted a more cautious approach.
"It would have taken nothing to take a tactical pause, assess the situation, locate him, and potentially prevent what we haven't seen in 43 years," Matranga argued.
Catastrophic Communication Failure: Former Secret Service Agent Questions Trump Rally Incident
Matranga criticized the Secret Service's reliance on local law enforcement, stating, "We've known this for decades, that we rely too heavily on our local counterparts to do the jobs that we are designed to do, and so this is a catastrophic failure."
He emphasized that the former president and the victims of the shooting deserve better. "This is a catastrophic failure of communications," Matranga reiterated.
Catastrophic Communication Failure: Former Secret Service Agent Questions Trump Rally Incident
In the wake of the incident, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is facing calls for her resignation. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told FOX Business on Thursday that he is prepared to ask President Biden to fire her.
Cheatle admitted in an interview with ABC News that the Secret Service was aware of the security vulnerabilities of the building where Crooks took the sniper's position. However, she explained that a decision was made not to place personnel on the roof due to safety concerns.
Cheatle's explanation has raised further questions about the decision-making process within the Secret Service. The incident has highlighted the need for thorough and timely communication and coordination between federal and local law enforcement agencies to prevent future security breaches.
Various individuals contributed to this report, including Fox News' Greg Norman, David Spunt, Jake Gibson, Chris Pandolfo, and Michael Ruiz.
