On July 13, 2024, President Trump was shot in the ear by would-be assassin Thomas Crooks. One attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured. What’s infuriating is that local law enforcement had raised concerns about securing the AGR complex buildings, from which Crooks fired, but Secret Service agents allegedly assured them, “we will take care of it.” Spoiler: they didn’t.
Sen. Chuck Grassley’s investigation reveals that these concerns were dismissed by the Secret Service, who didn’t properly secure the site. Grassley’s office sent a letter to acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, pressing for answers about this catastrophic security failure. Despite promises, the area wasn’t secured, and the result was a deadly attack.
What makes this all the more troubling is Grassley’s discovery that law enforcement knew about Crooks, the shooter, ahead of time. They had observed him near the event and even expressed concerns to the Secret Service during a walkthrough on July 11, two days before the rally. But nothing was done. Crooks managed to position himself atop the AGR building and take shots, showing a glaring lapse in security—especially for a former president under constant threat.
This isn’t an isolated incident, either. It’s the second assassination attempt against Trump in just a couple of months. In West Palm Beach, Florida, shots were fired near Trump at his golf club. These mounting threats raise serious questions about whether the Secret Service is taking Trump’s protection seriously enough, particularly given his prominence as a political figure in 2024.
Grassley is demanding answers, but he’s not exactly getting cooperation. The Secret Service has dragged its feet, refusing to provide key information to Congress, citing ongoing investigations. But as Grassley rightfully points out, Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight—and being stonewalled isn’t acceptable. He’s pushing for accountability, and it’s about time someone does. After two assassination attempts and preventable security lapses, Trump deserves the same level of protection as any other prominent political figure.
The bottom line? Political violence is getting out of hand, and it’s high time the Secret Service steps up its game. With the 2024 election heating up, we can’t afford to see another failure like this.