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Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is on a mission to get to the bottom of the security failures that resulted in a gunman opening fire on former President Donald Trump last Saturday during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and he made multiple jaw-dropping revelations on Friday.
Last Saturday, July 13, a 20-year-old gunman was able to climb atop a nearby building, giving him direct access to shoot his AR-style rifle directly at Trump, who was on stage speaking to thousands of supporters at the outdoor rally. Miraculously, Trump turned his head at the moment the gun was fired, and the bullet only struck his ear, instead of striking him directly in the head. Three other rally attendees were also shot, one fatally, and two others critically wounded.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, 53, who reportedly landed her role thanks largely to a close relationship with Jill Biden, claimed in a recent interview that her department didn’t put Secret Service agents on the roof of that particular building because it was sloped, which wasn’t ‘safe.’ Cheatle is now facing calls to resign from her position.
Thursday morning, Hawley posted a copy of a letter he had sent to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, announcing that whistleblowers had come forward to say that MOST of Trump’s security detail working the event last Saturday were not even Secret Service at all, and said DHS had assigned ‘unprepared and inexperienced’ personnel to work the event.
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity Friday night, Hawley said he personally traveled to the fairgrounds where the rally had been held last Saturday to check out the situation for himself.
With regard to the roof of the building the shooter was on, Hawley said it is not steep at all, and he blasted Cheatle’s claim that Secret Service agents couldn’t be on that roof because it was “too steep.”
Hawley said he also learned that multiple law enforcement working the event were all using different channels, and were not coordinated to communicate properly.
Agents weren’t prepared to protect Trump on Saturday – whistleblowers say many weren’t even part of the Secret Service
DHS dispatched officers who weren’t familiar with security protocol
Mayorkas & Secret Service director both need to resign pic.twitter.com/OzhJy93aQ8
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 20, 2024
In one jaw-dropping reveal, Hawley said when he went to the site, FBI agents came over and ordered him to LEAVE.
“The FBI has got more security on that site now than they did the night Trump was shot at… they’re trying to control the information, and told me to ‘get out of here,'” Hawley said.
As the Senate prepares for hearings, today I went to Butler County to see the site of the shooting myself – and FBI told me to leave. We need ANSWERS. I won’t stop pushing until we get them pic.twitter.com/rtswNlngGi
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 20, 2024
“Based on what I saw today in Butler County, can’t emphasize enough how important whistleblowers are. Please keep reaching out with any information on last Saturday,” Hawley announced.
Based on what I saw today in Butler County, can’t emphasize enough how important whistleblowers are. Please keep reaching out with any information on last Saturday
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 19, 2024
Below is the full interview with Sen. Josh Hawley Friday night:
BREAKING: Whistleblowers speak out on security failures at Trump rally, Hawley blasts Mayorkas
