Trump Questions Local Snipers' Role in Foiled Assassination Attempt

Former President Trump and running mate Sen. JD Vance discuss the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the controversy surrounding local snipers' alleged failure to monitor the rooftop where the gunman positioned himself.

In an exclusive interview with "Jesse Watters Primetime," former President Trump raised questions about the role of local snipers in the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman perched on the roof of a building and opened fire.

Richard Goldinger, the Butler County, Pennsylvania, district attorney, has disputed Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe's testimony at a Senate hearing, stating that local snipers were not responsible for monitoring the rooftop where the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was positioned.

Trump Questions Local Snipers' Role in Foiled Assassination Attempt

Goldinger clarified that the snipers from the Butler and Beaver Emergency Services Units (ESUs) were assigned to a window with a different vantage point from the one Rowe had indicated. He emphasized that monitoring the roof of the AGR building, where Crooks perched, was not their assignment.

"They were not posted at a location that would overlook the roof," Goldinger said. "Monitoring that roof was not their assignment."

Trump Questions Local Snipers' Role in Foiled Assassination Attempt

In contrast, Rowe had testified that local snipers had a better vantage point of Crooks' position than Secret Service snipers and questioned why the roofline was not being monitored. However, Goldinger's comments contradict this assertion.

In response, a Secret Service spokesperson reiterated Rowe's testimony and stated that the agency coordinated with the Butler County Emergency Services Unit, which was designated as the "tactical lead" for the site.

Trump Questions Local Snipers' Role in Foiled Assassination Attempt

Beaver County Emergency Services Unit Commander Patrick Young also clarified that his unit received instructions from the Butler County ESU, which he assumed had consulted with the Secret Service. He emphasized that the snipers' assignments were clearly defined.

"Their areas included the entry control point, the area before and after the magneton monitor and then the area in front of the stage," Young said. "Those are all within the interior and secure perimeter as defined by the Secret Service."

Trump Questions Local Snipers' Role in Foiled Assassination Attempt

Meanwhile, Beaver County ESU sharpshooter Jason Woods previously expressed concerns that a planned face-to-face briefing with Secret Service agents never took place. Woods stated that this lapse in communication raised concerns about the adequacy of security arrangements.

Trump's advisers have also questioned why they were not informed about the sighting of a suspicious person, who turned out to be Crooks. Trump himself expressed frustration that no one alerted them to the potential threat.

Trump Questions Local Snipers' Role in Foiled Assassination Attempt

"They could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, five minutes,’ something," Trump said in the interview with Fox News. "Nobody said — I think that was a mistake."

The controversy surrounding the snipers' role and the lack of communication between law enforcement agencies has raised questions about the adequacy of security measures during the rally. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge.

Trump Questions Local Snipers' Role in Foiled Assassination Attempt