BUTLER, PA — Lawmakers lambasted Secret Service leadership on Thursday during a heated House oversight hearing, probing the agency’s alleged failures in preventing an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Acting Secret Service Director Ronald L. Rowe Jr. faced intense questioning about the agency’s handling of the incident, which Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) described as “tragic neglect.”
Fallon criticized the lack of adequate security for Trump, who was the leading Republican presidential candidate at the time and is now the president-elect. The Secret Service’s planning was called “abysmal,” with Fallon noting the absence of a counter-surveillance unit (CSU), a reduced tactical response team, and inadequate dissemination of intelligence regarding a credible threat from a foreign nation. “This kind of ineptitude and complacency almost cost a former president his life,” Fallon charged during the hearing.
Rowe, who assumed his role after former Director Kimberly Cheadle resigned under bipartisan scrutiny following the incident, admitted that Trump did not receive security measures on par with those provided to a sitting president. “At that time, he was not,” Rowe acknowledged when asked if Trump’s detail had full support. However, Rowe declined to provide specifics about the foreign threat, citing security constraints in the public forum.
Lawmakers expressed outrage over the timeline of events. Fallon pointed out that despite the severity of the incident, Rowe did not visit the Butler site until July 24, 11 days after the attempt, following Cheadle’s resignation. “Why did you wait 11 days?” Fallon demanded. Rowe responded that he had been managing the crisis from headquarters and only visited after formally taking on the acting director role.
The hearing also addressed broader concerns about Secret Service culture and resource allocation. Fallon criticized the agency’s request for a $2 billion budget increase, contrasting it with the estimated $4,000 cost of basic security measures, such as deploying counter-surveillance teams and securing the area with proper coordination. “This wasn’t a question of resources—it was a question of leadership,” Fallon said.
Tensions flared when Fallon referenced a photo of Rowe attending a 9/11 memorial event and accused him of prioritizing public appearances over operational oversight. Rowe defended his decades of service, emphasizing the solemnity of honoring victims, including two Secret Service agents who died in the attacks. The exchange became so heated that the chairman had to call the committee back to order.
The Secret Service’s handling of the incident has sparked bipartisan outrage, raising questions about the agency’s ability to adapt to complex threats against high-profile figures.
The Butler security breach has amplified scrutiny on the Secret Service as lawmakers demand accountability and reforms.
