Staff Reports
In a development straight out of a poorly written political thriller, members of a House task force recently traipsed through the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds, site of the shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Their excursion left them scratching their heads and wondering how an assassin could get so close to the stage without a security team sensing something fishy. Apparently, not all of the lessons from basic security training seem to have made it to management.
The lawmakers, who visited the site where the assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired shots at Trump from a rooftop, noticed quite a few alarming issues. The location is about as secure as a high school prom. With only a football field’s distance between the shooter and Trump, one has to wonder what security personnel were doing on that fateful day. It appears they may have spent too much time focused on the cookie table and not enough on keeping the former president safe.
TRUMP ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION Bipartisan task force members on roof where Crooks fired shots hitting Trump.U.S. RepCorrea: To actually see where a man got shot by SS, where a man just seconds before took a shot at fmr pres, it was a surreal moment.https://t.co/Z9rck4u8JF@KDKA pic.twitter.com/e0rb1glo7h
— Jennifer Borrasso (@JenBorrasso) August 27, 2024
Among the task force members, Rep. Laurel Lee highlighted the stark reality of the venue’s location. She pointed out that walking through the grounds gave them a closer look at how the physical layout contributed to the chaos. If only the Trump campaign’s advance team had taken Kelly’s advice to change the venue to a larger space, maybe the whole situation could have been avoided. Kelly had expressed serious concerns about the small venue, but apparently, they were brushed aside faster than a campaign manager can say “win the primary.”
In addition to the failure of the security detail, attention has also shifted towards the Secret Service, which, despite having a reputation for sticking to VIPs like white on rice, seemed to drop the ball in this instance. An assassin firing a weapon in an area packed with supporters highlights significant oversight. U.S. lawmakers may want to revise their approach to assignments because clearly, this was a situation where “high ground” took a backseat to a good view of the stage.
The choice of venue has many scratching their heads, especially considering Pennsylvania lawmaker Mike Kelly’s early warnings to the Trump team about the impracticality of the site. His suggestion to utilize the much safer Butler Airport or a larger venue fell on deaf ears. It’s almost as if the campaign crew believed that a little charm at a party would outweigh any sensible advice regarding security.
Now, moving into investigative mode, the task force is pledging thoroughness in their findings for the December report. While that might sound great on paper, many Americans are likely rolling their eyes at the thought of another lengthy investigation yielding more questions than answers. After all, in this political landscape, “hard-hitting inquiries” seem to come with a side of political posturing, and focusing on truth has never been the quickest process. This is a perfect opportunity for the powers that be to stand up, take responsibility, and ensure no more attempts on leading figures slip through the cracks while they figure out who, if anyone, is to blame.
