An internal review by the U.S. Secret Service has found that a series of security lapses led to poor planning and communications failures on the day of Donald Trump’s assassination two months ago.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said interim reports showed some of his agents were “complacent.”
He said the police and Secret Service used different radio frequencies, which meant Trump’s protective team was unaware of the suspicious presence at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The report also highlighted a failure to secure the building where the gunman opened fire. The July 13 attack led to the resignation of the last Secret Service director.
“The Secret Service has not provided clear guidance or direction to local law enforcement partners,” Mr. Rowe said on Friday.
A gunman shot Trump eight times from the roof of a building. The Republican White House candidate was grazed in the ear by a bullet, one rally attendee was killed and two others were wounded before a Secret Service sniper shot and killed the suspect.
An internal investigation on Friday found that Trump’s security detail was unaware that state and local law enforcement were pursuing a suspicious person who turned out to be the shooter.
The report said that had agents become aware, they could have moved Trump to another location during the search.
Law enforcement agencies are also communicating important messages outside of Secret Service radio frequencies.
The suspect climbed onto a nearby rooftop with a direct view of where the former president was speaking.
Mr Rowe described a “lack of follow-up” on access control of buildings and rooftops.
He added that sightline issues involving the building were acknowledged but not mitigated or escalated to supervisors.
The acting director said that as the Secret Service enters the accountability phase of the review, the Secret Service cannot “pass our responsibility onto others.”
“This is a failure of the U.S. Secret Service,” Mr. Rowe said.
“It is important that we take responsibility for the failure of July 13 and use the lessons learned to ensure we do not have a similar failure happen again.”
The agency said it would take disciplinary action against the agents involved.
The acting director spoke of the heightened threat environment following Sunday’s second apparent assassination attempt involving Trump in Florida.
He said the agency needed a “paradigm shift.”
Also on Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to strengthen Secret Service protection for presidential and vice presidential candidates. The bill needs to pass the Senate.
