A source disclosed to Fox News that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, had pre-positioned his firearm at the event site. This new information has intensified the criticism directed at the Secret Service and its handling of the incident.
According to the source, Crooks concealed an AR-15 rifle at the rally location before the event. The revelation comes just as Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) released a report from whistleblowers, which claimed that most of the agents protecting Trump were not from the Secret Service but from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Sen. Hawley has called for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign, citing the significant security lapses. “The failure of her agency to protect Trump has destroyed her credibility,” Hawley stated. The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Cheatle to testify regarding the security failures.
Authorities first noticed Crooks carrying a golf range finder, which initially did not raise significant concern as such items were not banned from rally events. However, when he was later seen with a firearm, he was identified as a threat. The exact timing of when Crooks hid the weapon remains unclear, but it could have been days prior to the rally.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Sen. Hawley detailed the failures, including the lack of detection canines and inadequate security measures around the podium. Whistleblowers indicated that many of the DHS officials present were not adequately trained for such high-security events.
Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino criticized the agency’s preparedness, noting the absence of aerial drones and high-tech surveillance. “Most of the agents were temp HSI folks who are not trained to protect presidents,” Bongino said.
The incident has led to a deeper investigation by the House Oversight Committee, with Chairman James Comer (R-KY) expressing frustration over DHS’s lack of cooperation and transparency. The committee is determined to uncover the reasons behind the security failures and ensure accountability for the attempted assassination.
