Secret Service and FBI Testify on Security Lapse Before Trump's Assassination Attempt in Pennsylvania

Butler, Pennsylvania United States of America
Approximately 25 minutes before the shooting, local law enforcement notified the Secret Service command post about a suspicious person on the roof of a building.
Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.
Shots were fired within approximately 30 seconds and neither Secret Service countersniper teams nor Trump's security detail were aware of the armed man.
The counter-drone system was down for about two hours which could have potentially prevented the shooting if it had been operational.
The FBI is focusing on motive, identifying any potential co-conspirators, and building out the timeline of the shooter's actions. A social media account from 2019 to 2020 with antisemitic and anti-immigration themes was recently discovered.
Secret Service and FBI Testify on Security Lapse Before Trump's Assassination Attempt in Pennsylvania

Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. The latest developments in the investigation were discussed during testimonies by Acting Director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate before the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees.

According to new information, approximately 25 minutes before the shooting, local law enforcement notified the Secret Service command post about a suspicious person. The gunman was spotted on the roof of a building around 6:11 p.m., and shots were fired within approximately 30 seconds.

Acting Director Rowe expressed his shame over the security lapse, stating that neither Secret Service countersniper teams nor former president Trump's security detail were aware of the armed man on the roof before hearing gunshots. Personnel assumed local law enforcement was handling a suspicious individual, but this assumption was not challenged internally during advance planning.

The counter-drone system was down for about two hours, which could have potentially prevented the shooting if it had been operational. The FBI is focusing on motive, identifying any potential co-conspirators, and building out the timeline of the shooter's actions. They recently discovered a social media account from 2019 to 2020 that appeared to belong to the shooter with antisemitic and anti-immigration themes.

Senators grilled both officials about security arrangements, investigations into the shooting, and accountability for personnel. The hearing comes after former Director of the Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle resigned following a dismal appearance before a House committee also probing the shooting.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • It is unclear if any other security measures were in place besides the counter-drone system.
  • The article does not mention the identity or condition of the shooter.

Sources

94%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Acting Secret Service director grilled about Trump assassination attempt as new details emerge

ABC NEWS SITE NAMES Name: ABC News Site Names URL: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-officially-blames-iran_106834435 ABC News Tuesday, 30 July 2024 19:13
  • Unique Points
    • Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate testified before a Senate panel about security arrangements at the site of Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was shot.
    • 'Approximately 25 minutes before the shooting, Secret Service command post was notified of a suspicious person. The shooter was spotted by local law enforcement at 6:08 p.m., and he had a long gun.'
    • 'A local police officer saw the shooter on the roof around 6:11 p.m., and shots were fired within approximately 30 seconds.'
    • New details have emerged about the shooting, including a potential social media account owned by the shooter and questions about when Secret Service first saw him on the roof.
    • The counter-drone system was down for about two hours, which could have potentially prevented the shooting if it had been operational.
    • 'FBI is focusing on motive, identifying any potential co-conspirators, and building out the timeline of the shooter’s actions. They recently discovered a social media account from 2019 to 2020 that appeared to belong to the shooter with antisemitic and anti-immigration themes.'
  • Accuracy
    • Approximately 25 minutes before the shooting, Secret Service command post was notified of a suspicious person. The shooter was spotted by local law enforcement at 6:08 p.m., and he had a long gun.
    • Neither Secret Service countersniper teams nor former president’s security detail were aware of armed man on the roof before hearing gunshots.
  • Deception (80%)
    The article provides detailed information about the investigation into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and testimonies from officials. However, there are instances of selective reporting and emotional manipulation that lower the score. The article focuses on new details emerging about the shooting, including potential social media accounts owned by the shooter and questions about when Secret Service first saw him on the roof. While these details are important, they do not provide any context as to why this information was not disclosed earlier or how it relates to deception. Additionally, there are emotional appeals throughout the article that manipulate readers' emotions, such as descriptions of Rowe being 'ashamed' and 'losing sleep'. These appeals do not add any value to the analysis and are intended to elicit an emotional response from readers.
    • It appears that that information was stuck or siloed in that state local channel.
    • Acting Director of the U.S. Secret Service, Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. went to the roof of the AGR building where the assailant fired shots and laid in a prone position to evaluate his line of sight... What I saw made me ashamed.
    • If this investigation reveals Secret Service employees violated agency protocols, those employees will be held accountable to our disciplinary process.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (95%)
    The article does not demonstrate any clear bias towards a specific political ideology, religion, or ideology. However, there are instances where the language used by the author could be perceived as sensationalizing the events described in the article. For example, phrases like 'grilling from lawmakers', 'key moments from the hearing', and 'heated exchange' could be seen as exaggerating the importance of certain events or interactions. Additionally, there are instances where the author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or uncertain, such as describing the shooter's social media account as having 'extreme in nature' comments and questioning when Secret Service personnel first became aware of the gunman on the roof. However, these instances do not necessarily indicate bias on the part of the author, but rather a journalistic approach to reporting on controversial or uncertain events.
    • ]key moments from the hearing[
      • the shooter's social media account appears to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature[
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      95%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      ‘Stop interrupting me’: Cruz gets in heated exchange with Secret Service official

      CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Daniel Lewis Tuesday, 30 July 2024 17:33
      • Unique Points
        • Sen. Ted Cruz had a heated exchange with Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe during a hearing.
        • The exchange was about the number of agents working at Donald Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania rally.
      • Accuracy
        • Sen. Ted Cruz had a heated exchange with Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe during a hearing
        • The exchange was about the number of agents working at Donald Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania rally
        • Approximately 25 minutes before the shooting, Secret Service command post was notified of a suspicious person. The shooter was spotted by local law enforcement at 6:08 p.m., and he had a long gun.
        • Neither Secret Service countersniper teams nor former president’s security detail were aware of armed man on the roof before hearing gunshots.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      100%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Sparks fly as GOP senators grill new Secret Service director

      The Hill News Site: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate-seethe-republicans-call-for-israeli-elections/ The Hill Tuesday, 30 July 2024 17:32
      • Unique Points
        • Acting Director of the Secret Service is Ronald Rowe
        • Former Director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned
        • Testifying before Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees
        • Assassination attempt against former President Trump on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pa.
        • Senators will press for new information on security failures surrounding the assassination attempt
      • Accuracy
        No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      98%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Video: “What I Saw Made Me Ashamed,” Says Secret Service Acting Director

      The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Tuesday, 30 July 2024 17:35
      • Unique Points
        • Acting Director of the US Secret Service, Ronald L. Rowe Jr., identified communication failures between law enforcement agencies and the Secret Service as the cause of security lapse during former President Donald Trump’s protection on July 13.
        • Rowe visited the site where shots were fired to evaluate line of sight from roof of AGR building and expressed shame over inadequate security measures.
        • Neither Secret Service countersniper teams nor former president’s security detail were aware of armed man on the roof before hearing gunshots.
        • Personnel assumed local law enforcement was handling a suspicious individual, but this assumption was not challenged internally during advance planning.
      • Accuracy
        • Approximately 25 minutes before the shooting, Secret Service command post was not notified of a suspicious person. The shooter was spotted by local law enforcement at 6:08 p.m., and he had a long gun.
        • Shots were fired within approximately 30 seconds after the shooter was spotted by a local police officer on the roof.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication