Review says U.S. Secret Service 'complacent', needs reform

By Costas Pitas

(Reuters) -The U.S. Secret Service has become bureaucratic and complacent and is in need of reform, an independent review into the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump concluded on Thursday, saying without change such an incident will happen again.

On July 13, Trump, the Republican candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election, narrowly escaped being shot in the head in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a bullet that grazed his ear.

The near-miss exposed serious security gaps and led to heightened protection measures for Trump's outdoor rallies.

President Joe Biden's administration launched an independent probe that released its findings on Thursday, criticizing the Secret Service and making a number of recommendations.

"The Secret Service has become bureaucratic, complacent, and static even though risks have multiplied and technology has evolved," the panel wrote, saying it uncovered numerous mistakes that led to the July 13 attack, and called for fundamental reform. 

"Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again."

The panel said some flaws "appear to be systemic or cultural." It cited a lack of ownership by experienced senior-level personnel, a lack of cohesion in security planning and a lack of clarity regarding who was in charge of the site. 

Recommendations include overhead surveillance for outdoor events with presidential candidates, a situation report at the time the person being protected arrives, and that at least one representative from the Secret Service and each state and local law enforcement agency are together at the communications hub.

It said many recommendations should be implemented by the end of March and an evaluation take place by or before Oct. 1, 2025. 

The Butler shooting led to widespread criticism of the U.S. Secret Service and the resignation of its director. 

A Secret Service probe found communication gaps and a lack of diligence ahead of the shooting. In its aftermath, the agency approved extra security measures for Trump, including using bulletproof glass to shield him at outdoor rallies.

Acting Director Ronald Rowe, in a statement on Thursday after release of the report, said the agency had already significantly improved its readiness, operational and organizational communications. It is also developing a comprehensive plan to retain personnel and modernize technology, he said.

"The agency is also working with Congress to increase the agency’s budget so that we can make this paradigm shift a reality," Rowe added.

Earlier this month, Trump returned to Butler, rallying a large crowd in the critical battleground state ahead of the presidential election that polls show is too close to call.

Two months after the Pennsylvania incident, on Sept. 15, a gunman hid undetected for nearly 12 hours at Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, with plans to kill him, prosecutors have said. He was thwarted by a Secret Service agent patrolling the course ahead of Trump.

(Reporting by Costas PitasEditing by Bill Berkrot)