Six Secret Service Agents Suspended Over Security Failures in Trump Assassination Attempt

Six Secret Service agents were suspended over “failures” during a July 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump — then a presidential candidate

Six U.S. Secret Service personnel have been suspended for their roles in the security breakdown during an attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year. The July 13, 2024, incident resulted in the death of one attendee, injuries to two others, and left Trump with a bullet graze to his ear.

According to Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn, the agency has classified the event as an “operational failure.” The shooter, Matthew Crooks, fired multiple rounds from a rooftop, one of which struck Trump, before he was killed by law enforcement.

Disciplinary actions against the six employees included unpaid suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days. The timing of the suspensions has not been publicly confirmed, and the identities or specific roles of the individuals involved remain undisclosed.

“Secret Service is totally accountable for Butler,” Quinn said, adding that he is “laser-focused on fixing the root cause of the problem.” While acknowledging the severity of the security lapse, he emphasized that the agency would not “fire our way out of this,” instead focusing on systemic improvements.

Quinn, who assumed his position in May, revealed that several changes have been implemented since the attack, including the use of military-grade surveillance drones and upgraded mobile command posts to enhance field operations.

The attack in Butler prompted the resignation of then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and led to ongoing congressional scrutiny. A 94-page Senate report released in September concluded that internal communication failures and missteps “directly contributed” to the breach, and warned that many problems remained unresolved even two months later. A subsequent House of Representatives report in December deemed the attack “preventable,” citing the agency’s failure to secure the rooftop from which Crooks launched the assault.

Rally attendee Corey Comperatore was killed in the shooting, and his death, along with the attempted assassination of Trump, marked one of the most serious breaches of security in modern U.S. political history.

In the wake of the attack, Trump—who went on to win re-election in November—was granted enhanced security measures beyond those typically afforded to presidential candidates. In September, he was again rushed to safety when another armed suspect was discovered hiding in bushes at his Florida golf course. That individual was detained, and the FBI later labeled the incident a second apparent assassination attempt.

The Secret Service remains under heavy criticism for both incidents, with lawmakers calling for more accountability and transparency in the agency’s protective protocols.