Two men shot and wounded during the first attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a July campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, are speaking out for the first time since the ordeal. Jim Copenhaver, 74, and David Dutch, 57, sat down for an interview with NBC News.
Both men said the Secret Service and law enforcement failed them and Trump that day when a gunman was able to climb onto the roof of a warehouse approximately 400 yards from Trump and fire his rifle multiple times before being killed by a countersniper team.
Corey Comperatore, a former volunteer firefighter, was killed while shielding his family from the bullets. Both survivors allege that the Secret Service was negligent in handling security protocols.
Point phone camera here
“Did the Secret Service fail former President Trump and fail you that day?” NBC News’ Tom Llamas asked.
“Oh, yes. Big time,” Dutch said.
“It was a rush job, you know?” Copenhaver said. “It was put together too quickly and they skipped steps.”
Copenhaver and Dutch are dealing with serious health issues after being critically wounded. Copenhaver was shot in the arm and stomach, while a bullet pierced Dutch’s liver.
Since the shooting, Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle stepped down after being criticized by Congress. Acting Director Ronald Rowe testified on Capitol Hill in July, where Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pressed him for accountability.
“I will tell you, senator, that I will not rush to judgment,” Rowe said. “That people will be held accountable, and I will do so with integrity and not rush to judgment and put people unfairly persecuted.”
“Unfairly persecuted?” Hawley responded. “We’ve got people who are dead!”
Hawley told Rowe he hopes someone will be held accountable for the security failures.
Both Congress and the Secret Service say they are investigating the shooting. The Secret Service has not fired anyone for the July 13 Butler rally shooting.
Lawyers for the two men tell NBC News they plan to file lawsuits and are in the early stages of investigating whom to bring a case against.
[Lauren Taylor]
TWO MEN – SHOT AND WOUNDED – DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AT JULY CAMPAIGN RALLY IN BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA – ARE SPEAKING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR HARROWING ORDEAL.
74-YEAR-OLD JIM COPENHAVER AND 57-YEAR-OLD DAVID DUTCH – SAT DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH NBC NEWS.
BOTH MEN SAY THE SECRET SERVICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT FAILED THEM AND TRUMP THAT DAY – WHEN A GUNMAN WAS ABLE TO CLIMB ONTO THE ROOF OF A WAREHOUSE – APPROXIMATELY 400 YARDS FROM TRUMP – AND FIRE HIS RIFLE MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE BEING KILLED BY A COUNTER-SNIPER TEAM.
COREY COMPERATORE, A FORMER VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER, WAS KILLED WHILE SHIELDING HIS FAMILY FROM THE BULLETS.
BOTH SURVIVORS SAY THE SECRET SERVICE WAS NEGLIGENT IN HANDLING THEIR SECURITY PROTOCOLS.
TOM LLAMAS: “DID THE SECRET SERVICE FAIL FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND FAIL YOU THAT DAY?”
DUTCH: “OH, YES. BIG TIME.”
COPENHAVER: “IT WAS A RUSH JOB, YOU KNOW? IT WAS PUT TOGETHER TOO QUICKLY AND THEY SKIPPED STEPS.”
COPENHAVER AND DUTCH SAY THEY’RE DEALING WITH SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES AFTER BEING CRITICALLY WOUNDED. COPENHAVER WAS SHOT IN THE ARM AND STOMACH. AND A BULLET PIERCED DUTCH’S LIVER.
SINCE THE SHOOTING – THE SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR, KIM CHEATLE, STEPPED DOWN AFTER BEING GRILLED BY CONGRESS.
ACTING DIRECTOR, RONALD ROWE TESTIFIED ON CAPITOL HILL IN JULY, AND WAS PRESSED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.
ROWE: “I WILL TELL YOU SENATOR THAT I WILL NOT RUSH TO JUDGMENT, THAT PEOPLE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, AND I WILL DO SO WITH INTEGRITY AND NOT RUSH TO JUDGMENT AND PUT PEOPLE UNFAIRLY PERSECUTED.”
HAWLEY: “UNFAIRLY PERSECUTED? WE’VE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAD!”
ROWE: “WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PROPER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS, SENATOR.”
HAWLEY: “YOU SAID EARLIER THAT YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE YOUR PROTOCOLS ARE FOLLOWED AND UNLESS THERE’S A PROTOCOL VIOLATION, PEOPLE WOULDN’T BE DISCIPLINED. I WOULD JUST SAY TO YOU, I DON’T REALLY CARE THAT MUCH ABOUT YOUR PROTOCOLS. I THINK IF YOUR PROTOCOLS DON’T PROVIDE FOR THE FACT THAT WHEN A FORMER PRESIDENT IS SHOT, WHEN AN AMERICAN IS KILLED, WHEN OTHER RALLY-GOERS, INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO JUST SHOWED UP ON THE DAY, WHEN THEY ARE SHOT AT AND CRITICALLY WOUNDED. IF THAT ISN’T A PROTOCOL VIOLATION, PRIMA FACIE, YOU SHOULD REVISE YOUR PROTOCOLS.”
ROWE: “SENATOR, I THINK THIS IS WHERE YOU AND I AGREE. THIS WAS A FAILURE AND WE WILL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.”
HAWLEY: “WELL I HOPE YOU’RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.”
BOTH CONGRESS AND THE SECRET SERVICE SAY THEY’RE INVESTIGATING THE SHOOTING. THE SECRET SERVICE HAS NOT FIRED ANYONE FOR THE JULY 13TH SECURITY FAILURES.
LAWYERS FOR THE TWO MEN TELL NBC NEWS – THEY PLAN ON FILING LAWSUITS AND ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF INVESTIGATING WHO TO BRING A CASE AGAINST.
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