Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has expressed serious concerns about the security arrangements for former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. According to Hawley, the protective detail for Trump largely consisted of Homeland Security personnel who had received inadequate training.
The training, which was delivered through a two-hour online webinar, reportedly encountered numerous problems such as broken audio and repeated interruptions. A whistleblower has criticized the training as ineffective, leaving the agents unprepared for the important task of protecting Trump.
The attack on Trump by Thomas Crooks, who fired from a nearby rooftop, resulted in Trump being injured, two others wounded, and the death of retired fire chief Corey Comperatore. Hawley has highlighted the lack of proper training as a critical factor in the failure to prevent the attack.
Hawley has called for answers from Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, questioning the decision to assign inadequately trained personnel despite previous intelligence warnings. Additionally, there has been a misrepresentation of the events, with new information revealing that it was a local SWAT team member, not a Secret Service agent, who fired the decisive shot.
These developments have raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the security protocols and the training provided to those responsible for protecting high-profile figures.
