Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is demanding answers from the Secret Service following claims made by a Butler police officer regarding the agency’s handling of security measures before the attempted assassination attempt on former President Trump. In newly released bodycam footage, the officer can be heard expressing frustration that he had warned the Secret Service to secure the building where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired his shots.
Grassley’s investigation into the events of July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was targeted and local firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed, has led him to question the accuracy of statements made by Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe during a recent Senate hearing. Local police are disputing Rowe’s claims about the line-of-sight local counter-snipers had on the day of the rally.
In a letter to Rowe, Grassley is seeking clarification on the “Tuesday meeting” that allegedly took place between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, as well as demanding a detailed account of the events leading up to the rally. The senator is also calling for a review of the bodycam footage and a response to the officer’s claims that he had warned the Secret Service in advance.
Grassley’s investigation has revealed discrepancies between the Secret Service’s depiction of the counter-sniper teams’ positions and the actual physical location of the local law enforcement officers. The senator is pressing Rowe to provide a site diagram showing the positions of all law enforcement personnel, as well as records of any meetings that took place before the rally.
Additionally, Grassley has written to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding Asif Merchant, a Pakistani man with ties to the Iranian government who allegedly sought to carry out an assassination of Trump. Merchant was arrested on July 12, the day before the rally, after allegedly trying to hire undercover FBI agents as assassins.
Grassley’s efforts to uncover the truth behind the events of July 13 in Butler continue, as he seeks answers from the Secret Service and other agencies involved in the investigation. The senator’s determination to hold those responsible for the security lapses to account underscores the seriousness of the situation and the need for transparency in the aftermath of such a harrowing event.
