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Secret Service Director to testify Monday on Trump
Director of Communications at America First Policy Institute, Hilton Beckham, joins LiveNOW from FOX to preview what you can expect on Monday as the Secret Service Director is set to testify before the House Committee Oversight. The committee is investigating the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.
null - The Secret Service acknowledged late Saturday it denied some requests by former President Donald Trump's campaign for increased security at his events in the years leading up to his attempted assassination at a recent rally.
The Secret Service initially said it had not rejected requests for more security in the immediate aftermath of the attack on July 13. The sudden reversal will likely be a key issue in a congressional hearing Monday – Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is expected to appear before angry lawmakers questioning security lapses that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to climb atop the roof of a nearby building at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and fire his weapon.
Trump was wounded in the right ear, one rally-goer was killed and two others were injured. Local law enforcement officers had seen the shooter and deemed him suspicious enough to circulate his photo, while witnesses reported seeing him scaling the building.
READ MORE: Gunman used drone to scope rally site before Trump assassination attempt
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Not long after Trump was hurt, reports began to circulate that the agency had denied the Trump campaign’s request for more security at the rally.
A Secret Service spokesperson called it "an untrue assertion."
"This is absolutely false," Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, said on social media. "In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo."
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Analyzing Trump assassination attempt
The investigation into the Trump assassination attempt continues as many questions continue to arise including whether the shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks flew a drone over the rally site. LiveNOW's Austin Westfall breaks it down with national security expert Hal Kempfer.
After The Washington Post challenged those assertions and sent detailed questions to the agency, the Secret Service released the following statement:
"The Secret Service has a vast, dynamic, and intricate mission. Every day we work in a dynamic threat environment to ensure our protectees are safe and secure across multiple events, travel, and other challenging environments. We execute a comprehensive and layered strategy to balance personnel, technology, and specialized operational needs.
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"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. This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protectee."
President Joe Biden, who is facing Trump again in the 2024 presidential election, has called for an independent investigation. The Homeland Security Department and congressional committees are also investigating.
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Witness to Trump rally shooting speaks to LiveNOW
Investigators continue to comb through the life of Thomas Matthew Crooks as they look for the motive behind the young man's attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump. LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow spoke with Mike Difrischia, a rally attendee who spotted the shooter on the roof of a nearby building.
In an interview with Fox News host Jesse Waters set to air Monday, Trump said, "No, nobody mentioned it, nobody said there was a problem" before he took the stage and a gunman opened fire. "They could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 5 minutes, something.’ Nobody said. I think that was a mistake."
Trump also questioned the security lapses and how the gunman was able to access the roof of the building.
"How did somebody get on that roof? And why wasn’t he reported? Because people saw that he was on the roof," Trump said. "So you would’ve thought someone would’ve done something about it."