By Katherine Donlevy and Joe Marino
Secret Service officials repeatedly rejected Donald Trump’s request for additional security in the two years before last weekend’s assassination attempt, The Post has learned.
The ex-president, 78, asked for more agents and magnetometers at large public events he attended, as well as extra snipers for outdoor venues, four insiders told The Washington Post, which first reported the damning revelation.
Each request was shot down by senior officials who claimed the agency lacked the resources Trump was asking for, the outlet reported.
Secret Service agents, along with local law enforcement, were responsible for securing the rally when 20-year-old gunman Matthew Thomas Crooks opened fire at the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign outdoor rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday.
Crooks was lying on a rooftop just 130 yards away from Trump when he squeezed off as many as seven rounds, grazing the politician in the ear and killing an audience member who sat behind the stage. Two others were seriously injured.
Outrage at the security lapse led the federal security agency to up Trump’s detail to the same level as President Biden, The Post exclusively reported earlier this week.
The Secret Service initially denied claims that someone from Trump’s camp asked for more help ahead of the deadly shooting as “absolutely false.”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who has faced mounting pressure to resign in the last week, doubled down on the denials in a meeting with Trump campaign leadership in Wisconsin on Monday, the insiders said.
After massive holes in the ex-president’s security team were revealed, however, the agency has changed its tune.
Here’s the latest on the assassination attempt against Donald Trump:
- Attempted Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks’ ‘pathway to violence’ explained
- Trump’s would-be assassin Thomas Crooks wrote chilling online post foreshadowing rally shooting
- Trump shooter Thomas Crooks was not a member of rifle team, wasn’t bullied despite previous reports, school claims
- Florida man arrested for ‘written threats to kill’ Trump, Vance days after assassination attempt
- Secret Service honchos denied Trump additional security for 2 years before assassination attempt: damning revelation
- Former WH doctor gives update on Trump’s wound after assassination attempt
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, admitted to The Washington Post that the agency had denied Trump’s request for additional security, but claimed it had only learned about the new information in the wake of the tragedy.
Guglielmi told The Post that there were “some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided,” but that the agency instead utilized state or local partners to add protections.
“The Secret Service has a vast, challenging, and intricate mission,” Guglielmi said in a statement. “Every day we work in a dynamic threat environment to ensure our protectees are safe and secure across multiple events, travel, and other difficult environments. We execute a comprehensive and layered strategy to balance personnel, technology, and specialized operational needs.”
Insiders told The Post that local law enforcement was recruited for the Butler, Pennsylvania rally because Secret Service headquarters denied the ex-president’s request for extra resources.
Trump’s personal detail asks Secret Service headquarters for resources –manpower, equipment, tech — headquarters approves or denies at their discretion.
Only when denied would the detail inquire with the field office, which would backfill with any available resources, including local law enforcement.
The extent to what security Trump is provided varies from event to event depending on what the local field office can provide, sources told The Post.
Ultimately, the Secret Service headquarters is the authority on what resources are permitted to be doled out.
The Secret Service has been strongly criticized for failing to stop Crooks before he fired on the ex-president.
Trump has continued on the campaign trail despite the terrifying experience, this time with beefed-up security at his disposal.
He was given a “pretty unprecedented level of police officers” Saturday for his indoor event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the presidential hopeful and his new running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, were welcomed by roughly 14,000 adoring supporters.