Secret Service tends to President Donald Trump onstage at a rally July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Twenty-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Trump from a rooftop during the rally — with one of the eight bullets shot grazing Trump's ear. In addition to injuring two people, the gunman also shot and killed Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, father and husband attending the rally.
Months later, another man was apprehended and charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Both incidents are under investigation.
Political rhetoric from the left that paints Trump as a threat to democracy is dangerous and could provide fodder for political radicals to believe assassinating the president is the way to save the country — potentially leading to a similar assassination attempt seen in Pennsylvania, Gage said.
Other factors contributing to the heightened threat levels include policies related to immigration or funding cuts from the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that are unpopular with the left, as well as hostile proxy groups who are backed by actors like Iran who oppose Trump, Gage said.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, threats continue to change, creating additional challenges for security forces like the Secret Service as they adapt.
Although the Secret Service is taking action to enhance its security measures, the agency still faces "considerable vulnerabilities given the rising complexity and sophistication of the threats it faces," Tim Miller, who served as a Secret Service agent during Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton’s administrations, said in an email Wednesday to Fox News Digital.
"The FBI has consistently warned about homegrown violent extremists, which remains a major concern," Miller said.
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While Miller characterized Butler as a "wake-up" call for the Secret Service and said the incident is sharpening the agency’s ability to handle threats, there is still a lot of work that must be done, he said.
"The Secret Service is also still playing catch-up when it comes to adopting critical technology — especially in the areas of secure communications, drone surveillance, and real-time intelligence tools," Miller said. "These are not luxuries; they are vital to modern protective operations."
A bipartisan House task force that investigated the attack found that the attempted assassination was "preventable," and determined various mistakes were not an isolated incident.
At the top of the list of mistakes, the report identified that the Secret Service did not secure a "high-risk area" next to the rally, the American Glass Research (AGR) grounds and building complex. Failure to secure this area "eventually allowed Crooks to evade law enforcement, climb on and traverse the roof of the AGR complex, and open fire."
Other faults the task force found included handing over advance planning roles to inexperienced Secret Service personnel, along with various technology and communication breakdowns.
"Moreover, relevant threat information known by members of the intelligence community was not escalated to key personnel working the rally," the House task force said in its report.
As a result, the agency has spearheaded a series of reforms.
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service personnel as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
"In order for our officers and agents to train up properly, they have to see what it’s like to be at the White House," Curran said. "It’s an important complex to know. There’s a lot of ins and outs, and something as simple as the local fire department showing up to help with a fire, and they need to know where they are going."
Altogether, Congressional oversight bodies issued nearly 50 recommendations to the Secret Service following the assassination attempt, including ones related to better radio communications and planning for events. The agency reported Thursday that it has executed 21 of those recommendations, and is in the process of implementing 16 others.
"The reforms made over this last year are just the beginning, and the agency will continue to assess its operations, review recommendations and make additional changes as needed," the Secret Service said in a news release Thursday.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/butler-happen-again-former-secret-service-agents-weigh-political-violence-2025