Now it is on the Secret Service to show Americans that its agents can handle the risk that retail politicking entails, permitting presidential candidates to glad-hand, and voters to assess their leaders up close, without fear.
The Secret Service can start by offering the country a full account of its failure to protect Mr. Trump. The would-be assassin should never have been able to fire an AR-15-style rifle at the former president, nor even to climb onto the roof of a building near where Mr. Trump was speaking. But he did. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has admitted, “It was unacceptable.” That’s not enough. Her explanations have been beyond insufficient — indeed, they don’t make sense.
Ms. Cheatle claimed that no security personnel were on top of the building because its roof is sloped. A Post analysis showed Secret Service snipers were positioned on another roof (closer to Mr. Trump) that was even steeper. Her initial remarks also appeared to blame local police. But the Secret Service was in charge, and, as The Post reported, local police had warned the Secret Service that they did not have the resources to closely monitor the building, which had an unobstructed view of the stage. Somehow, the building was deemed outside the official security perimeter for the rally.
Numerous rally attendees frantically tried to warn police about the shooter at least a minute and a half before the shots rang out, a Post analysis showed. Local law enforcement apparently spotted the shooter, flagging him as a suspicious person to the Secret Service an hour before he opened fire.
At least three independent investigations are underway — by the FBI, Congress and the Department of Homeland Security. But no matter how they proceed, the Secret Service needs to give a full account soon and explain how the agency intends to adjust. Ms. Cheatle has an opportunity on Monday as she testifies before Congress.
The Secret Service’s failure to protect Mr. Trump is not an isolated slipup — just the worst in recent years. As The Post’s Carol D. Leonnig has documented, Secret Service agents hired prostitutes on a trip to Colombia, where they were supposed to be setting up security for a visit by President Barack Obama. An uninvited couple was able to crash one of Mr. Obama’s official state dinners, and numerous people were able to slip past security and get close to Mr. Obama, an inquiry showed. In 2015, a bipartisan investigation concluded the agency was in “crisis.”
This is not to say the Secret Service’s job is easy. The agency does not get much credit when, day in and day out, nothing out of the ordinary happens. Its agents need to balance the imperative of protecting the nation’s senior leaders against the public’s interest in participating in the democratic process. Americans, including presidential candidates, should not be afraid to attend political rallies. People should have access to their elected officials. The Secret Service would only compound the tragic events in Butler if it and other law enforcement agencies walled off the 2024 presidential candidates. After the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, barricades stayed up for too long, denying people access to the Capitol (a decision made largely by the Capitol Police). Instead of repeating that mistake, the agency should refocus on getting the balance right.
The Secret Service — and Congress — should ask some bigger questions about the agency, too. Is the Secret Service doing too much? Its agents guard not only the president, vice president and their families, but also major presidential candidates, former presidents and certain visiting foreign leaders. All of these people travel more than in decades past. Because of a quirk of history, the Secret Service also has responsibility for fighting currency counterfeiting.
Fixing the Secret Service starts with admitting its mistakes this month. But Congress is right to ask: Is this a moment for a bigger overhaul?
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