Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe promised to straighten out the agency and rebuild trust after the assassination attempt on former President Trump, but acknowledged there would be significant difficulties in streamlining communication with local law enforcement officials helping with the events.
Rowe answered questions from reporters on Friday about several planning errors that allowed a gunman to fire a series of bullets that pierced Trump’s ear, injured two others and killed an attendee during a rally last month in Butler, Pennsylvania. .
Although shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was considered a suspect by local authorities working the event, Rowe reiterated that those warnings never reached Secret Service countersnipers or Trump’s personal details.
“It was so evident to me that in this incident, in the final 30 seconds that were the focus of what happened before the assailant opened fire, there were clearly radio transmissions that could have happened on that local radio network that we didn’t have. ,” Rowe said.
“The challenge of interoperability is not an easy solution. It’s not as simple as trying to figure out the local frequency of the agency you’re working with and then typing it into your radio network. Requires substantial technical correction.”
Rowe made the comments at his first news conference since taking the leadership role at the agency. He also made an appearance Monday before Congress, in which Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) criticized the agency for not regularly updating the public.
Rowe on Friday again offered a more candid assessment of the agency’s failings than her predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned last week after a disastrous and quiet appearance before the House.
He lamented that the agency did not have personnel on the roof of the building from which Crooks fired and promised to use drones at future events.
“This was a failure of the Secret Service. That roof line should have been covered. We should have seen this better,” he said, noting that a local agency’s non-acceptance of an offer to fly a drone over the site is also being investigated.
“Now we will take advantage of the use of unmanned aerial systems at sites. So we’re disclosing these assets and, you know, we should have had better insight into some of these high ground concerns. We thought we could have it covered by the human eye, but of course we are going to change our approach now and we are going to take advantage of technology and install these unmanned aerial systems.”
Rowe also said the Secret Service would now have countersnipers at all events, rather than relying solely on local snipers.
The Trump campaign has said it wants to continue with outdoor rallies, a setup that poses additional complications for the Secret Service.
“It’s campaign season, right? Candidates want to be out there. … Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor location, it’s up to the Secret Service to make sure we create a safe environment. And listen, we identify challenges, we identify concerns and then it’s up to us to figure out what we need to do to mitigate that. So if there are future campaign rallies outside of it, it will be up to us to ensure that we are providing all the assets and resources to ensure that those sites are truly secure,” he said.
Rowe also sought to dispel any blame placed on local police officers, who appeared to be aware of the bandits and working to convey that message to the Secret Service.
“I also want to reiterate that this was a failure of the Secret Service and therefore they should not be blamed. We are not trying to shift blame to anyone. And that’s the important takeaway that we need our local state partners to do this with us every day,” he said.
Rowe said Crooks was able to fire three shots initially, with Trump’s personal team jumping to protect him within three seconds. The next fourth to eighth shots were fired in the following moments, with the director adding that a Secret Service counter-sniper killed Crooks 15 seconds after his initial shot.
“It’s difficult for them. They feel like they let their colleagues down,” Rowe said of the agency’s Pittsburgh field office. “They feel like they let the country down. And they’re using it and it’s open. You can see this. It’s an open wound they carry.”
“I want to make sure they are uplifted so they can focus on accomplishing the mission. They are trustworthy and deserve your support,” he said of the broader Secret Service.
Rowe also resisted on Friday making any promises to firing officials involved in the planning or response, a stance that angered many senators earlier in the week.
“I am committed to taking responsibility for the failure of the Secret Service. Let me be clear…These individuals will be held accountable and will be held accountable through our fair and thorough disciplinary process,” he said.
“The facts will determine the results of these investigations and I have pledged accountability, and I will not rush to judgment or ignore due process. Every person in the Secret Service feels the weight of what happened.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
