The House Task Force investigating the assassination attempts on President-elect Trump’s life has released its final report on Tuesday, detailing “preexisting conditions and leadership failures” that led to the deadly campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July.
While the bipartisan panel was given ample information on that shooting, the report suggested requests for documents on the second attempt on Trump’s life – this one at his Palm Beach golf course in September – were seemingly stonewalled.
“The Task Force notes that as of the date of publication of this report, [the Department of Homeland Security], [U.S. Secret Service], FBI, and [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] have not produced any documents responsive to the Task Force’s requests regarding the preparation for, events of, and response to the second assassination attempt that occurred on September 15,” the report said.
Lawmakers found “critical vulnerabilities” in the security of that site. The report said Secret Service agents identified the golf course’s outer perimeter as “a favorable position for potential snipers.”
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The report also called on the Secret Service to review its protocols for golf courses – which would be a significant policy overhaul, given Trump and past presidents’ historic penchant for golfing.
Other recommendations in the 180-page report include calling on Congress to consider taking the Secret Service out from under the purview of DHS.
“The current structure potentially weakens USSS, a small but critically important agency, in advocating for its budget and other priorities inside a much larger entity,” the report said.
“The failure in [Butler, Pennsylvania] was far from the first significant USSS failure in recent history, and it is fair to question whether USSS should continue to be housed within DHS.”
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The Secret Service was under the Treasury Department until 2003, when it was moved to the newly formed DHS, but the task force advocated for it to be its own structure entirely.
“A fresh look at whether USSS might benefit from the status of an independent agency, with more freedom to make budget requests and advocate for itself, would be a healthy discussion for former USSS leaders to have with Congress,” the report said.
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