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The U.S. Secret Service has acknowledged disciplinary action against six agents, citing operational lapses during the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The agency confirmed to Fox News that the disciplinary action occurred in February. A Senate report on the near-assassination is scheduled for imminent release.
The attack occurred when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop roughly 400 feet from the rally stage. One bullet grazed Trump’s ear. Another fatally struck firefighter Corey Comperatore, who had shielded his family. Increasingly erratic gunfire from Crooks wounded two others before Secret Service counter-snipers neutralized him.
Leadership Fallout and Push for Reform
In the wake of the incident, then–Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, acknowledging it as the agency’s most serious operational failure in decades.
Acknowledging the desire for institutional reform, Deputy Director Matt Quinn stated, “We aren’t going to fire our way out of this.” Among the measures already underway: deploying military-grade drones, upgrading communication systems, and enhancing cooperation with local law enforcement.
Heated Congressional Oversight
Yet tensions boiled over in December 2024 during a public hearing held by the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump. Then–Acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr. and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) engaged in a heated, nearly unintelligible shouting match over the agency’s preparedness.
Lawmakers across party lines expressed deep frustration. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) criticized the agency’s outdated communications and a culture that discouraged agents from voicing security concerns.
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) described the Secret Service’s posture during the Butler rally as “almost lackadaisical,” citing “really basic” lapses that hinted at complacency.
The bipartisan panel released a scathing report, outlining multiple preventable failures and calling for sweeping structural reforms.
Restoring Trust Under New Leadership
In January 2025, President Trump appointed Sean Curran — the agent who shielded him that day in Butler — as the new director of the Secret Service, signaling a commitment to restoring trust and accountability within the agency.
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