Secret Service Suspends 6 Agents After Trump Assassination Attempt/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Six Secret Service agents were suspended without pay after failing to prevent an assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a 2024 rally. Disciplinary measures ranged from 10 to 42 days of unpaid leave, with agents reassigned to lower-responsibility roles. A congressional report deemed the Butler, Pennsylvania incident “preventable,” citing leadership and training lapses.
Quick Look
- Six agents suspended after Trump rally assassination attempt.
- Penalties range from 10-42 days of unpaid leave.
- House report deemed the Butler attack “preventable.”
Secret Service Suspends Six Agents After Trump Assassination Attempt
Deep Look
WASHINGTON – Six Secret Service agents have been suspended without pay and reassigned to lower-responsibility roles in the wake of last year’s attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Deputy Director Matt Quinn confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday that disciplinary action for the agents ranged from 10 to 42 days of unpaid leave, following an internal review into security failures during the July 13, 2024, rally. Quinn emphasized that the agency is determined to fix “the root cause of the problem.”
“We weren’t going to fire our way out of this,” Quinn told CBS. “Butler was an operational failure, and we are focused today on ensuring that it never happens again.”
The Secret Service has faced intense scrutiny since gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire toward the rally stage, killing 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore, injuring two other men, and grazing Trump’s ear with a bullet. Crooks was ultimately killed by a Secret Service sniper.
Footage from the event showed Secret Service agents rushing Trump offstage, his face visibly bloodied.
Since the Butler incident, the Secret Service has invested in new military-grade drones and mobile command posts to improve real-time communication and coordination with local law enforcement. However, the agency faced further criticism after a second assassination attempt on Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, weeks later. That event, though thwarted, led to the resignation of then-Director Kimberly Cheatle and multiple investigations.
A bipartisan House task force released a 180-page report in December, concluding that the Butler attack was “preventable.” The report cited longstanding leadership and training deficiencies within the Secret Service and highlighted poor coordination with local authorities as a contributing factor.
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