<figure id="attachment_3108014" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3108014" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3108014" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/a881c855-trump-shooting-14072025.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3108014" class="wp-caption-text">The event boosted Donald Trump’s 2024 White House bid, with his team promoting an image of him injured but resolute. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
WASHINGTON: A congressional inquiry into the attempt to assassinate US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally a year ago on Sunday lamented &#8220;inexcusable&#8221; failures in the Secret Service&#8217;s operations and response and called for more serious disciplinary action.
On July 13, 2024, a gunman shot the then-Republican presidential candidate during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear.
One bystander was killed, and two other people in addition to Trump were wounded before a government sniper killed the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.
&#8220;What happened was inexcusable, and the consequences imposed for the failures so far do not reflect the severity of the situation,&#8221; said the report released by the US senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee.
The dramatic incident energised Trump&#8217;s bid to return to the White House, with his campaign using a photo of him bloodied and pumping his fist as he was hurried offstage to woo voters.
The report did not shed new light on the gunman&#8217;s motive, which still remains a mystery, but accused the secret service of &#8220;a cascade of preventable failures that nearly cost President Trump his life&#8221;.
&#8220;The US secret service failed to act on credible intelligence, failed to coordinate with local law enforcement,&#8221; said the committee&#8217;s Republican chairman Rand Paul.
&#8220;Despite those failures, no one has been fired,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;It was a complete breakdown of security at every level – fuelled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act on direct threats.
&#8220;We must hold individuals accountable and ensure reforms are fully implemented so this never happens again.&#8221;
&#8216;Mistakes were made&#8217;
The secret service cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and the establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance.
Six unidentified staff have been disciplined, according to the agency. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days&#8217; suspension without pay, and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions.
Reflecting on the assassination attempt earlier this week, Trump said &#8220;mistakes were made&#8221; but that he was satisfied with the investigation.
In an interview with his daughter-in-law on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;My View with Lara Trump&#8221;, Trump said the sniper &#8220;was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn&#8217;t do that, you would have had an even worse situation.&#8221;
&#8220;It was unforgettable,&#8221; Trump said of the events.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There&#8217;s no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming.&#8221;

MatchPoint Times

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