At Donald Trump's Pennsylvania rally, officers were stationed on the “sloping” roof used by the shooter before the attack, but the roof was abandoned due to “hot weather,” according to a whistleblower familiar with Secret Service planning.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri published a letter on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in which he rebuked previous claims by Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle that no guards were stationed on the roof where the shooting took place because it was “sloped.” according to To NBC News. (Related story: Cheatle dodges questions about Jill Biden's security after whistleblower emails reveal striking differences from Trump rally)
“Contrary to Director Cheatle's public statements about the 'security' of the sloped roof of American Glass Research Building 6, one whistleblower with direct knowledge of Secret Service incident planning asserts that officers were supposed to be on standby on the roof that day,” Hawley wrote.
Hawley alleged that according to the whistleblower, “at least one” security guard was stationed on the roof of American Glass Research Building 6 but later “abandoned his post” and law enforcement “ceased patrolling” the building.
“In fact, at least one whistleblower Specially assigned The individual was on the roof during the rally but left due to the heat. The whistleblower further alleges that police stopped patrolling Building 6 and deployed security guards instead due to heat concerns. internal “The building,” Hawley wrote.
NEW YORK – A whistleblower said police officers were stationed on the roof on the day of the Trump rally but abandoned them due to the heat, and that police were supposed to patrol the building but instead chose to remain inside. pic.twitter.com/aIVNSPHUF6
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 22, 2024
Cheatle came under heavy criticism for not spotting any glaring security lapses under Secret Service supervision following the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. In his first interview since the incident, Cheatle told ABC News Supreme Court reporter Pierre Thomas that the building is outside of Secret Service jurisdiction and that local law enforcement is responsible for “the perimeter of the building.”
About 30 minutes before the attack, carried out by 20-year-old Matthew Thomas Crooks, local police had spotted the shooter, a law enforcement source told WPXI. According to the Associated Press, officers climbed ladders onto the roof but retreated after Crooks, 20, pointed a weapon at them.
According to The Wall Street Journal, recent reports suggest that Crooks was able to fly a drone over the rally site on a programmed flight path hours before the rally, and that he also flew the drone multiple times, likely to reconnaissance and inspect the area.
Despite calls for Cheatle to resign, the Secret Service director remains adamant that he will remain in his job.
The Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and Hawley's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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