Questions Surround Trump Assassination Attempt as Secret Service Deflects Blame

Senator Lankford slams Secret Service for blaming local law enforcement for security lapse that allowed an armed man on the roof during former President Trump's event.

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) has expressed outrage over the Secret Service's attempts to deflect blame for the security lapse that allowed an armed man to take position on a roof during former President Trump's event.

According to Lankford, who serves as the lead Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee, the Secret Service and FBI officials sought to pass the responsibility to local law enforcement, claiming they were responsible for the "outer layer" where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was stationed with an AR-15-style rifle.

Questions Surround Trump Assassination Attempt as Secret Service Deflects Blame

"They talked about the layering – the Secret Service is the first layer, the second layer is federal law enforcement of multiple different agencies, and that third layer is local law enforcement," Lankford said. "We all know that as a structure of how things work on it. But then they try to say, hey, that was the outer layer. That's really a local law enforcement issue."

Lankford denounced the Secret Service's finger-pointing, emphasizing that the agency is the primary authority tasked with coordinating all law enforcement efforts. "That's a mistake," he said. "The Secret Service has responsibility for coordinating all of those things together."

Questions Surround Trump Assassination Attempt as Secret Service Deflects Blame

The senator revealed that the Secret Service was aware of a "threat" 15 minutes before Trump took the stage, prompting questions about why the president was allowed to proceed despite the known danger. "They were made aware that there was an active search for someone that they thought was a threat," Lankford said. "Well, at that point, they should never have allowed the president to step on that stage."

Lankford criticized the Secret Service's decision not to investigate the potential threat, saying, "They should have either figured out if the person was not a threat or picked him up."

Questions Surround Trump Assassination Attempt as Secret Service Deflects Blame

Elected officials are now seeking answers regarding who authorized Trump to take the stage despite the known threat. "We're trying to figure out who made that decision," Lankford said. "Why was that decision made the way that it was?"

Lankford expressed concern about the lack of information provided by the FBI and Secret Service to elected officials and the public. "Explain to us the mitigation strategy," he said. "If there was someone that got on that roof, would they have been able to mitigate the threat?"

Questions Surround Trump Assassination Attempt as Secret Service Deflects Blame

"Obviously that didn't occur, at least, proactively," he added.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle initially stated that her team would be "forthcoming" about their mistakes, but Lankford noted that the director provided minimal answers during a discussion with senators. "If the facts are not being shared, conspiracy theories run wild," he said. "There's nothing to combat false information."

Questions Surround Trump Assassination Attempt as Secret Service Deflects Blame

The Secret Service has been contacted for comment on the matter. The investigation into the assassination attempt is ongoing.