Catastrophic Failure of Communications: Retired Agent Questions Trump Rally Security Breach

Retired Secret Service agent Mike Matranga slammed the Secret Service's handling of the attempted assassination of former President Trump, calling it a "catastrophic failure of communications."

Retired Secret Service agent Mike Matranga has expressed strong criticism of the Secret Service's handling of security at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president was the target of an attempted assassination. Matranga questioned why Trump was allowed to take the stage despite a "person of interest" being identified beforehand.

Matranga emphasized that a tactical pause could have been taken to assess the situation and locate the suspect, potentially preventing the shooting. He condemned the Secret Service's reliance on local law enforcement to perform tasks that the agency itself is responsible for.

Catastrophic Failure of Communications: Retired Agent Questions Trump Rally Security Breach

According to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was considered a "person of interest" after being observed acting suspiciously and possessing a golf range finder. However, he was only identified as a threat when he retrieved a weapon and ascended to the roof of a building shortly before the shooting.

Matranga asserted that the failure to secure the building Crooks occupied represented another major lapse in communication. Despite being aware of the security vulnerabilities, the Secret Service opted not to station personnel on the roof, citing safety concerns.

Catastrophic Failure of Communications: Retired Agent Questions Trump Rally Security Breach

The Secret Service's director, Kimberly Cheatle, has faced calls for her resignation in the wake of the incident. House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that he may request President Biden to dismiss her.

Cheatle acknowledged that the Service was aware of the building's potential as a sniper's nest but defended the decision not to place personnel on the roof. She cited safety concerns related to the sloped roof.

Catastrophic Failure of Communications: Retired Agent Questions Trump Rally Security Breach

Matranga vehemently rejected this explanation, arguing that there should be no hesitation to protect the president, regardless of conditions. He maintained that the Secret Service failed to prioritize Trump's safety and that those harmed or killed in the incident deserved better.

Multiple Fox News contributors contributed to this report, including Greg Norman, David Spunt, Jake Gibson, Chris Pandolfo, and Michael Ruiz.

Catastrophic Failure of Communications: Retired Agent Questions Trump Rally Security Breach