Amid ongoing scrutiny over the attempted assassination of former President Trump, local officials in Butler County, Pennsylvania, have disputed the testimony of the acting U.S. Secret Service Director, placing the blame for the incident squarely on the federal agency's shoulders.
In a bold challenge to the Secret Service's narrative, Richard Goldinger, the Butler County District Attorney, has asserted that local snipers were not tasked with monitoring the rooftop where Thomas Matthew Crooks perched and opened fire on former President Trump on July 13, 2024.
Goldinger's revelation contradicts the testimony of Ronald Rowe, the acting U.S. Secret Service Director, who claimed during a Senate hearing that local snipers had a better vantage point of Crooks' shooting position than Secret Service snipers.
The Blame Game: Local Snipers Dispute Secret Service's Roof Monitoring Claim
Goldinger vehemently refuted this assertion, explaining that the local snipers were assigned to a window with a different vantage point than the one Rowe pointed to. He emphasized that monitoring the roof of the AGR building, where Crooks hid, was not their responsibility.
"The snipers from the Butler and Beaver ESU teams were posted in the second floor of the building adjacent to where the shooter was located, were posted in the two windows toward the end of the building," Goldinger said. "From their post and vantage point, they were unable to see the shooter on the roof of the other building."
The Blame Game: Local Snipers Dispute Secret Service's Roof Monitoring Claim
In a pointed response to Rowe's testimony, Goldinger declared, "They were not posted at a location that would overlook the roof. Monitoring that roof was not their assignment."
This disclosure has cast a fresh light on the Secret Service's handling of the incident. Rowe had previously placed blame on local law enforcement for not seeing Crooks on the roof. However, Goldinger's statement suggests that the Secret Service was either unaware of Crooks' presence or failed to communicate this information to local authorities.
The Blame Game: Local Snipers Dispute Secret Service's Roof Monitoring Claim
In a further indictment of the Secret Service, Patrick Young, Commander of the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, revealed that his unit was told where to go by Butler County ESU, which he assumed had guidance from the Secret Service.
Young emphasized that two snipers inside the AGR building were positioned based on instructions from the Secret Service, and their assignments were strictly defined. "Their areas included the entry control point, the area before and after the magneton monitor and then the area in front of the stage," Young said.
The Blame Game: Local Snipers Dispute Secret Service's Roof Monitoring Claim
These revelations have raised serious questions about the Secret Service's coordination with local law enforcement agencies and their ability to effectively secure events involving high-profile figures. The failure to spot Crooks on the roof, despite his suspicious behavior, has highlighted glaring deficiencies in the agency's protective measures.
Former President Trump himself has expressed frustration over the lack of information provided to him and his team during the incident. "They could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, five minutes,’ something. Nobody said — I think that was a mistake," Trump told Fox News' Jesse Watters.
The Blame Game: Local Snipers Dispute Secret Service's Roof Monitoring Claim
As the investigation into the attempted assassination continues, the blame game between the Secret Service and local law enforcement is likely to escalate, casting further doubt on the agency's credibility and raising concerns about the safety of future events involving prominent individuals.
