The Secret Service announced on Thursday the suspension of six agents involved in securing the site of a campaign rally where a gunman attempted to assassinate Donald J. Trump last summer.
The suspensions, which range from 10 to 42 days without pay, were revealed in a statement made by the agency just days before the first anniversary of the shooting. The identities of the agents were not disclosed due to privacy laws, and all six had previously been placed on restricted duty while the agency conducted an internal review.
A junior agent on Mr. Trump’s personal detail received the longest suspension, according to an anonymous source familiar with the situation. This agent is noted to be the only member of Mr. Trump’s personal detail to face suspension.
The agency has faced significant scrutiny following the July 13, 2024 incident, when a 20-year-old gunman fired multiple shots at Mr. Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. This marked the first assassination attempt since 1981 to injure a current or former president, as a bullet grazed Mr. Trump’s ear. Tragically, a volunteer firefighter named Corey Comperatore was killed, and two other attendees sustained injuries. The gunman was subsequently shot and killed by the Secret Service.
Following the incident, the agency's director at the time, Kimberly A. Cheatle, resigned. Lawmakers have since called for accountability among agency leaders for the operational failures that occurred during the event. Additionally, there was a second assassination attempt on Mr. Trump later in September of the same year while he was golfing in Florida, during which agents shot at a suspect hiding near the course's outer edge.
In a statement on Thursday, current agency director Sean M. Curran reflected on the events in Butler. At the time, he was the lead agent in Mr. Trump’s personal security detail and intervened to protect the former president when shots were fired. In January, Mr. Trump appointed him as the agency's lead director.
“I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future,” Mr. Curran stated.
Multiple investigations, including those from Congress, into the security lapses during the Butler rally indicated a significant breakdown in communication among the agents and between the Secret Service and local law enforcement.
On Thursday, the agency reported that it has “implemented numerous operational, policy, and organizational reforms” based on both internal and external recommendations.
The lengths of the announced suspensions were reportedly shorter than what had been proposed, according to one of the lawyers representing several of the agents. “We navigated successfully to avoid more severe sanctions,” said the lawyer, Larry Berger. “And now we’re assessing what the next step is.”
The agents have the right to appeal their suspensions.