WASHINGTON (AP) — A task force investigating the assassination attempts against Donald Trump during his presidential campaign is recommending changes to the Secret Service, including protecting fewer foreign leaders during the height of the election season and considering removing the agency from the State Department to remove. Homeland Security.
The bipartisan congressional task force’s 180-page report released Tuesday is one of the most detailed looks yet at the assassination attempt on Trump in July at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and a second in Florida two months later.
Like other investigations and reports, the task force railed against the agency charged with protecting the highest echelon of America’s democratic leaders.
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“The events of July 13, 2024 were tragic and preventable, and the litany of associated security failures are unacceptable. The Secret Service’s zero fail mission leaves no room for error, let alone the many errors detailed in this report,” the authors wrote.
The task force has been investigating the July shooting in which a gunman opened fire from the roof of a nearby building. Trump was injured in the ear, one demonstrator was killed and two others were injured.
It is also investigating another assassination attempt in September. That gunman waited for hours for Trump to show up at his Florida golf course, but a Secret Service agent foiled the attack by seeing the firearm poke through some bushes.
Here are some highlights of the report and its recommendations:
Reducing the number of people protected – especially foreign leaders
The report’s authors noted that the number of people the agency must protect has “greatly expanded.” At the same time, the presidential campaign season is getting longer and more intense, the report said.
But the agency is also tasked with protecting foreign dignitaries during the UN General Assembly, when heads of state and government pour into New York. This event takes place every September, at the “height of campaign season,” the report said, adding to the agency’s staffing crisis.
“Congress, DHS, and the USSS should jointly consider the protective role the USSS plays for foreign leaders and consider whether such duties could be transferred or abolished so they can focus on the USSS’s primary mission of protecting the president and other critical American leaders. ‘, the report said.
Skip some investigative work, especially during elections
The Secret Service is known for its high-profile work protecting the president, vice president, presidential candidates, their families and others.
But the officers also conduct a wide range of investigations unrelated to their protective mission, such as investigating fraud and financial crimes. These responsibilities date back to the agency’s time as part of the Treasury Department, and agency leaders say the investigations are an important part of training Secret Service agents in the skills they need in the field of protective details.
But the task force recommended reviewing these investigative responsibilities — especially during campaign season — so the agency can “prioritize protecting America’s leaders and candidates running for office.”
“These non-protective, investigative functions require a systematic review due to the USSS’s stunning failure to protect President-elect Trump on July 13,” the report said. “The Secret Service’s protective mission is at the core of the agency’s purpose – anything that diverts or diverts resources from the agency’s zero fail mission must be reconsidered.”
Should the Secret Service remain within the Department of Homeland Security?
For decades, the secret service was part of the Ministry of Finance. After the Department of Homeland Security was created in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the Secret Service was transferred to DHS.
The task force suggested reevaluating that step. The lawmakers said that during the time the Secret Service has been part of the Department of Homeland Security, “the USSS has not benefited from stable leadership.”
The task force said the current structure “potentially weakens the USSS, a small but critical agency, in advocating its budget and other priorities within a much larger entity.”
“A fresh look at whether the USSS could benefit from its status as an independent agency, with greater freedom to make budget requests and advocate for itself, would be a healthy discussion for former USSS leaders with Congress,” the task force said.
