The acting director of the US Secret Service informed a House of Representatives panel that he has revamped the agency’s security protocols following an incident where a gunman shot at president-elect Donald Trump in July.
Acting director Ronald Rowe testified before a House taskforce composed of seven Republicans and six Democrats that has been examining two failed assassination attempts on Mr. Trump during this year’s presidential race.
The panel is anticipated to cast a vote on the approval of a final report later today.
“We must acknowledge the seriousness of our misstep on 13 July, 2024. I personally bear the burden of knowing that we nearly lost a protectee and that our failure resulted in the loss of a father and husband,” Mr. Rowe testified.
The Secret Service has faced scrutiny regarding its staffing levels and communication capabilities following the assassination attempts on Trump.
A gunman discharged eight rounds during a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July, injuring Mr. Trump in the ear and resulting in the death of another attendee.
The assailant was shot and killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Two months later, a man armed with a gun barricaded himself near a Trump-owned golf course in Florida, with prosecutors claiming he intended to kill the then-Republican candidate while he was golfing.
The suspect, Ryan Routh, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges and is currently awaiting trial.
‘Ashamed’
Mr. Rowe expressed that he was “ashamed” of the security failures related to the Pennsylvania shooting.
He defended the agency’s actions during the Florida incident, praising an agent who identified the gunman before he could open fire.
The acting director stated that he has implemented a series of changes following the shooting, including enhanced training for agents, improved communication with local law enforcement, and an expanded security detail for Mr. Trump.
Mr. Rowe claimed to be working to eliminate what he referred to as a “do-more-with-less mindset” at the Secret Service, which he noted had a “degrading effect” on the agency.
US President-elect Donald Trump after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania in July
He indicated that the agency is addressing its staffing shortages from recent years and is on track to recruit 650 special agents and 350 uniformed officers in the coming months.
“My sole focus has been to implement necessary reforms within the Secret Service,” Mr. Rowe told the panel.
“Our agency is not defined by a single failure, but by our capacity to learn from our mistakes, hold ourselves accountable, and then adapt, evolve, and continuously strive for excellence,” he added.
The shooting at the rally undermined confidence in the Secret Service, tarnishing its elite “zero-fail” reputation for safeguarding presidents and high-level dignitaries in the US.
While the Secret Service has mostly avoided criticism from Mr. Trump regarding federal law enforcement and promised reforms, the agency’s response to the Pennsylvania shooting faced bipartisan disapproval.
An interim report from the House taskforce, released in October, revealed a lack of coordination between the Secret Service and local law enforcement before the July rally.
Republican representative Mike Kelly, the chair of the taskforce, commended Mr. Rowe for enacting reforms and addressing what he termed a culture of complacency within the agency.
Mr. Kelly noted that when Mr. Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, for another rally in October, the contrast in security measures was “like the difference between day and night.”
