Ex-Secret Service Agent Asks Why Trump Was Allowed on Stage Despite Security Issues: “Why the Rush?"

Since the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, the Secret Service has been under fire for its apparent inability to secure the rooftop where the gunman had set up his sniper position. A retired U.S. Secret Service agent is also questioning why former President Trump was allowed to take the stage when a 'person of interest' was identified in advance. 

As reported by Fox News, Mike Matranga, a former Secret Service agent, posed a question on America's Newsroom on Thursday, "Why the rush? Why push him on stage? Why not delay? 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." This particular statement came after Kimberly Cheatle, director of the United States Secret Service, revealed in an interview that 'the shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion.' 

Matranga continued by describing the outcome as a 'catastrophic failure of communications' and included, "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. The former president deserves better. The individuals who were harmed and the individual who succumbed to his injuries deserve better."

As per Fox News, a few days earlier, Cheatle told ABC News, "I'm being told that the shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion. Units started responding to seek that individual out. Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president." In the interview, Cheatle admitted that she is solely responsible for the security breach that led to the Trump murder attempt. She also stated, "The buck stops with me. This is an event that should have never happened." 

A bullet penetrated Trump's right ear during an outdoor event in Butler on Saturday at approximately 6 p.m. ET. The FBI is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt. Trump is the presumptive GOP presidential contender for 2024. Additionally, witnesses of the incident described members of Trump's Secret Service team around the ex-president with their bodies shielding him as they helped the real estate mogul to his vehicle.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman, was killed by a counter-sniper after he fired shots from the top of an adjacent building. The Secret Service said that one person was murdered and two others are in serious condition as a result of the shooting at the rally.

Many were shocked that the shooter could act in such a brazen manner when the Secret Service and other security personnel were there, and they wanted to know how the killer managed to pull the trigger. One conservative activist even posted on X, "How was a sniper with a full rifle kit allowed to bear crawl onto the closest roof to a presidential nominee."

House Speaker Mike Johnson also shared on X, "THE HOUSE WILL CONDUCT A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS TODAY. The American people deserve to know the truth. We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP." The assassination attempt has prompted demands for Cheatle's resignation and on Monday, she will appear before the House Oversight Committee.