Independent US Govt. Panel Calls for Secret Service Overhaul

Improve the News Foundation -
0:00
/1861

Facts

  • A group of former top law enforcement and government officials, appointed by Secretary of the Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas, has recommended replacing US Secret Service (USSS) leadership over the attempted assassination of former Pres. Donald Trump.[1][2]
  • The independent panel, which was asked to analyze the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, said it found a 'lack of ownership' among the USSS agents it interviewed, specifically related to their lack of planning prior to the assassination and behavior afterward.[3]
  • Regarding the event in Pennsylvania, it criticized the USSS for poor communication and not securing the rooftop from where the shooter fired at Trump. It labeled USSS culture as 'corrosive' and 'doing more with less.'[4]
  • They recommended that someone from outside the USSS should be appointed to lead it and place the agency under the Office of Protective Operations. Calls for an independent USSS director were previously made around 10 years ago.[5]
  • Despite commending the agents who protected Trump, the report further labeled the agency 'bureaucratic, complacent and static,' claiming its personnel have a 'troubling lack of critical thinking.'[6][1]
  • The report was written by former top officials from DHS and the Attorney General's offices from both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. In response, Acting USSS Director Ronald Lowe said his agency has 'already significantly improved' its operations.[2]

Sources: [1]CNN, [2]FOX News, [3]New York Times, [4]Wsj, [5]Washington Post and [6]BBC News.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by New York Post. The Secret Service made every possible failure that day in Pennsylvania, from placing inexperienced agents on Trump's protection detail to ignoring the suspicious shooter for over 90 minutes before he started shooting. What makes this even worse is that after almost allowing Trump to die, the agency took no responsibility. The USSS is currently rotten to its core and must be completely overhauled.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by New York Times. While everyone can agree that the USSS came up short on that day in Pennsylvania, it's important not to throw the entire agency under the bus. The USSS has a long history of being a premier public official protective agency, but due to a lack of resources, it has faced several setbacks. Instead of recreating the agency, it should be given more funding to hire new agents and pay them more.

Predictions