Secret Service Under Scrutiny After Assassination Attempt on Trump

President Biden calls for a review of the protective agency’s actions after the attack, which left an audience member dead and two critically wounded.

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By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, David A. Fahrenthold, Hamed Aleaziz and Eileen Sullivan

The reporters have covered presidential security over various administrations.

July 14, 2024Updated 5:10 p.m. ET

President Biden on Sunday called for an “independent review” of security measures before and after the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump, while directing the Secret Service to review all of its security measures for the Republican National Convention this week.

Mr. Biden’s directive, though brief and without specifics, is likely to increase the scrutiny of the decisions and possible failures of the agency charged first and foremost with protecting the lives of the country’s current and former leaders, and their families.

Less than 24 hours after Mr. Trump was injured at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., members of Congress were promising hearings and former law enforcement officials were questioning why the warehouse roof where the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., fired shots was not covered by the Secret Service’s security perimeter, despite being within the range of some guns.

Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was quickly whisked off the stage and pronounced fine, but a spectator was killed in the shooting and two others were critically wounded.

“Congress will do a full investigation of the tragedy yesterday to determine where there were lapses in security and anything else that the American people need to know and deserve to know,” Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, said Sunday on NBC.

The chair of the House oversight committee also asked the Secret Service director, Kimberly A. Cheatle, to testify at a hearing on July 22.

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