A whistleblower claims that a law enforcement officer assigned to guard the roof of a building during former President Trump's July 13 rally in Pennsylvania abandoned their post due to extreme heat, potentially facilitating the assassination attempt by Thomas Crooks.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has revealed that a whistleblower has informed him that a law enforcement officer assigned to monitor the roof of the American Glass Research (AGR) Building 6 during former President Trump's July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, left their post because it was "too hot." Crooks, 20, fired multiple rounds from the roof of the building, which was outside the rally perimeter but had a direct line of sight to the stage where Trump was speaking.
Hawley, who visited the rally site on Friday, noted that the AGR building in question was about 150 yards or fewer from the main stage. According to the whistleblower, the plan called for a law enforcement individual to be on the roof at all times during the rally, but this did not happen.
Whistleblower: Law Enforcement Vanished from Trump Rally Roof Before Assassination Attempt
The same whistleblower told Hawley that multiple law enforcement personnel were also assigned to patrol the perimeter of the building to prevent anyone from hopping onto the roof. However, these individuals were also absent from their designated areas.
Hawley stated that multiple whistleblowers have come forward to his office with similar allegations, including claims that law enforcement personnel were assigned to patrol the roof and perimeter of the building but failed to do so, and that they were supposed to communicate on a common radio frequency but did not.
Whistleblower: Law Enforcement Vanished from Trump Rally Roof Before Assassination Attempt
The whistleblower also told Hawley that the Secret Service had delegated the AGR building and the roof to local or state law enforcement but noted that both local and federal officials have been pushing blame onto one another.
Hawley criticized former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned on Tuesday, for not answering questions during a briefing on the incident. He also called for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, stating that DHS personnel, who were largely unprepared for the event, constituted the majority of the federal security present on that day.
Whistleblower: Law Enforcement Vanished from Trump Rally Roof Before Assassination Attempt
A DHS spokesperson declined to comment on matters related to an ongoing investigation, while the Secret Service has not responded to Hawley's comments.
Hawley suggested that the DHS is overwhelmed under Mayorkas' leadership, as many DHS security personnel who are typically tasked with searching for illegal immigrants have been reassigned to the southern border, leaving fewer personnel available for other tasks such as protecting VIPs at events like Trump's rally.
Whistleblower: Law Enforcement Vanished from Trump Rally Roof Before Assassination Attempt
Mayorkas has announced a bipartisan panel of law enforcement experts to conduct a 45-day independent review of the assassination attempt. Hawley's office is continuing to communicate with whistleblowers to gather additional information about the incident and the security failures that allowed Crooks to access the AGR building rooftop.
