Secret Service suspended six for Trump assassination attempt in Butler 

Almost a year after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, news reports reveal the Secret Service had suspended six personnel without pay earlier this year in response to the event.

Matt Quinn, deputy director of the Secret Service, told CBS News the suspensions ranged from 10 to 42 days without pay or benefits. Those agents returned to restricted duty or roles with reduced operational responsibility.

“We are laser-focused on fixing the root cause of the problem,” Quinn said, defending the agency’s choice not to fire anyone immediately after the July 13, 2024, security breakdown.

On that day in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman fired shots at Trump during a campaign event; one bullet grazed Trump’s ear and was inches away from killing him.

One man, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, was killed. Two others were wounded, and the assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service sniper.

“We aren’t going to fire our way out of this,” Quinn said. “We’re going to focus on the root cause and fix the deficiencies that put us in that situation.

“Secret Service is totally accountable for Butler,” he added. “Butler was an operational failure, and we are focused today on ensuring that it never happens again.”

The disciplinary actions came after a federally mandated process. The agency has worked to address the root causes behind the Butler failure, Quinn said.

Changes include a new fleet of military-grade drones and mobile command posts allowing agents to communicate directly with local law enforcement. The Secret Service lacked such technology last year.

The Pennsylvania assassination attempt, along with a second attempt against Trump’s life weeks later in West Palm Beach, Florida, caused then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign and prompted congressional investigations.

A bipartisan House task force released a 180-page report last December finding the lapses “were not isolated to the campaign event itself.”

Lawmakers cited “preexisting issues in leadership and training” that set the stage for failure. They highlighted how key duties were given to Secret Service agents with little to no advanced planning experience. Additionally, poor coordination between the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners worsened the situation.

“The events of July 13, 2024, were tragic and preventable, and the litany of related security failures are unacceptable,” the report said.