TOP Secret Service officials have denied several requests for extra resources by Donald Trump’s security detail in the last two years before he was injured in an assassination attempt last week.
Four people familiar with the requests say the former president asked for magnetometers and more agents to screen attendees at large gatherings.
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Trump’s team also asked for more snipers and specialty teams at other public events, reported the Washington Post.
The requests, which were not previously reported, were sometimes denied by senior officials at the agency for several reasons, including a lack of resources due to low staff, which the agency has struggled with for years.
As a result, a long-standing tension was created between Trump, his aides, and security detail against Secret Service leadership.
Trump’s advisors privately argued that the agency wasn’t doing enough to protect the former president.
The Secret Service denied turning down the requests at first, however, the agency has now acknowledged that some were rejected.
It comes as agency veterans say the organization has had to make tough decisions with limited funding and a growing list of individuals who need protection.
Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, from a rooftop about 150 yards away from Trump.
The former president was injured along with two others, and a rally attendee was killed.
Since then, the agency has faced criticism for supposed failings during the incident.
An agency spokesman publicly denied that it has denied requests from Trump’s team, causing more strife between the two parties.
Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday that claims the department denied Trump additional security were “baseless” and “unequivocally false.”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who has faced calls to resign due to the lapses at the rally, has also denied they rejected the request.
“The assertion that a member of the former president’s security team requested additional security resources that the US Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security rebuffed is absolutely false,” said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, in a statement.
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However, a recent report from the New York Times said the Secret Service acknowledged they had turned down requests for additional resources from Trump.
Guglilemi reportedly acknowledged that the Secret Service denied two requests for additional federal security.
Two anonymous sources told the Times that Trump’s campaign had been lobbying for additional resources since the former president lost re-election in 2021.
Guglielmi clarified that Trump’s team did not request additional security for the rally in Butler on July 13.
“In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protectee,” Guglielmi said in a statement to the Times.
“This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protectee.”
Guglielmi explained that the Secret Service is often stretched thin with resources, especially during election season.
The agency is required to protect the sitting president, in addition to multiple candidates which can result in strained resources.
This election season is especially unique as both candidates are former presidents and have strong presences in the public eye.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Secret Service for comment.
Donald Trump Rally Shooting Reaction
Dozens of politicians and celebrities have offered their support for the former president after he was reportedly grazed by gunfire at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
President Biden held a brief press conference just after 8 pm ET. He said he was hoping to speak to Trump.
“Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick,” the president continued. “We cannot condone this.”
Vice President Harris said she was “relieved” Trump was not seriously injured.
“Violence such as this has no place in our nation,” she continued.
Former President Obama said on X: “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy.
“Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery.
Donald Trump, Jr shared a photo of his father raising a fist moments after he was shot with the caption: “He’ll never stop fighting to Save America.”
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr said: “Now is the time for every American who loves our country to step back from the division, renounce all violence, and unite in prayer for President Trump and his family.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said: “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”
Britain’s new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer took to X to say: “I am appalled by the shocking scenes at President Trump’s rally and we send him and his family our best wishes.
“Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack.”
Reform leader and newly elected MP Nigel Farage said it is a “miracle” that his friend is still alive.
Farage told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I was very upset when I heard the news late last night, Donald Trump survived by a miracle, frankly.
“But one innocent man is dead, two are fighting for their lives in hospital. It’s horrible, and yet somehow not surprising.”
Former PM Boris Johnson also gave his condolences to Trump and his family as he said it shows “the tragic fragility of democracy in the face of violence and unreason”.
Ukrainian PM Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been a target for assassins in the past, also said he was “appalled” by the events in the US.
“Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world. Never should violence prevail,” he said on X.
“I extend my wishes for strength to everyone who is horrified by this event. I wish America emerges stronger from this.”
ASSASSINATION SCARE
Trump was addressing the Butler crowd when he turned around to explain a graph on illegal immigration.
When his head turned to look at the screen, a bullet grazed his ear and he fell to the ground.
Trump recalled the moment during his address at the Republican National Convention, emphasizing that he wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for the graph.
The former president said the moment was “too painful” to recount more than once, however, he joked about the assassination attempt during a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 20.
The FBI has launched an investigation into the shooting and the Secret Service has come under fire for failing to prevent it.
A recent report from CNN revealed that authorities were alerted to an assassination plot by Iran leading up to the Pennsylvania rally.
Secret Service accommodated the threat and reportedly warned Trump against holding rallies outdoors.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
A national security official told the publication that there is no known link between the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and the Iranian government.
It is still unclear what Crooks’ motive was.
