Bipartisan panel makes call to overhaul Secret Service amid failures

[Lauren Taylor]

A BI-PARTISAN PANEL IS CALLING ON THE SECRET SERVICE TO MAKE FUNDAMENTAL REFORMS TO ITS OPERATIONS AFTER FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP – WAS NEARLY ASSASSINATED DURING A CAMPAIGN RALLY IN BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ORDERED THE CREATION OF THE PANEL TO EFFECTIVELY REVIEW THE SECURITY PROVIDED TO TRUMP.

THE PANEL, MADE UP OF FORMER DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN CABINET MEMBERS AND SECURITY AND POLICE OFFICIALS, SAID THE SECRET SERVICE HAD BECOME “BUREAUCRATIC, COMPLACENT AND STATIC EVEN THOUGH RISKS HAVE MULTIPLIED AND TECHNOLOGY HAS EVOLVED.”

IN ITS 52-PAGE REPORT, THE PANEL SAYS IT IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC FAILURES AND BREAKDOWNS WITHIN THE PROTECTIVE AGENCY INCLUDING A LACK OF CLARITY BY AGENTS, CORROSIVE CULTURAL ATTITUDES IN “DOING MORE WITH LESS” WITHIN THE AGENCY, A “TROUBLING LACK OF CRITICAL THINKING” BY SECRET SERVICE PERSONNEL THE DAY OF AND DAYS LEADING UP TO THE ATTACK ON TRUMP, A LACK OF COHESIVE PLANNING BETWEEN THE SECRET SERVICE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, A LACK OF TRAINING FOR SECURITY AGENTS, AS WELL AS AN INSUFFICIENTLY EXPERIENCED-BASED APPROACH REGARDING THE SECRET SERVICE’S SELECTION OF AGENTS TO PERFORM CERTAIN TASKS.

DURING THE PANEL’S INVESTIGATION, THE FOUR MEMBERS SAY THEY FOUND THE AGENTS INVOLVED IN PROTECTING TRUMP AT THE BUTLER RALLY QUOTE “APPEAR TO HAVE DONE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF SELF REFLECTION IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING AREAS OF MISSTEPS, OMISSIONS, OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.”

THE PANEL SAYS IT’S TOP TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AGENCY TO REFORM ARE: NEW TOP LEADERSHIP AND RE-FOCUSING THE PROTECTIVE AGENCY ON ITS CORE PROTECTIVE MISSION.

THE PANEL RECOMMENDS THE NEW TOP LEADERSHIP “COME FROM OUTSIDE THE SERVICE RATHER THAN INTERNAL PROMOTION” AS “THE EVENTS OF BUTLER SUGGEST THAT THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR FRESH THINKING INFORMED BY EXTERNAL EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVE.”

SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR KIMBERLY CHEATLE STEPPED DOWN IN JULY AFTER THE BUTLER SHOOTING, AND ACTING DIRECTOR RONALD ROWE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED FAILURES WITHIN THE AGENCY AND SAID HE’S SEEKING A LARGER BUDGET AND MORE TRAINING.

“THE SECRET SERVICE MUST BE THE WORLD’S LEADING GOVERNMENTAL PROTECTIVE ORGANIZATION,” THE EPORT STATES. “THE EVENTS AT BUTLER ON JULY 13 DEMONSTRATE THAT, CURRENTLY, IT IS NOT. ALL ASSETS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THAT MISSION BEFORE ANY OTHER TASKS… THERE IS SIMPLY NO EXCUSE TO NEED TO ‘DO MORE WITH LESS’ CONCERNING PROTECTION OF NATIONAL LEADERS.”

LAST MONTH, THE SECRET SERVICE ACTING DIRECTOR SAID TRUMP IS NOW RECEIVING THE AGENCY’S “HIGHEST LEVELS OF PROTECTION.”