Tipsheet

On the Second Anniversary of Butler, the IG's Report Highlights the Secret Service's Failures

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  July 13, 2026 1:45 PM

Today marks the second anniversary of the failed assassination attempt against President Trump at a campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania. President Trump was struck in the ear, while two attendees were also wounded and retired firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed as he protected his family from the gunfire. Gunman Thomas Crooks, 20, was killed by a Secret Service sniper as he lay on the roof of a nearby building.

Now, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released a report on Butler, highlighting the many failures of the Secret Service, including how agents missed more than 100 radio transmissions warning about the gunman, and that breakdowns in communications and security lapses were 'missed opportunities' to stop the shooting.

The report highlights some of these missteps, including that the Secret Service failed to:

  • Detect a drone flown by Crooks to view the campaign event stage, due to under-trained operators and equipment malfunction
  • Warn President Trump's security detail that Crooks had a range-finder, a long gun, and that he'd climbed onto the roof of the nearby building because the Secret Service didn't set up a joint communications room with local law enforcement
  • Share intelligence about threats to President Trump with the Pittsburgh Field Office leadership or site agents, which led to insufficient personnel for the event
  • Secure the area outside the perimeter, even though the Pennsylvania State Police warned the Secret Service that the area would be unsecured
  • Use resources to block the line of sight from the building where Crooks took the shot to President Trump, even though it was identified as a point of concern

This report came after the OIG reviewed more than 70,000 documents, conducted dozens of interviews, and recreated the event using 3D models. Based on the information obtained, the OIG made seven recommendations to the Secret Service. Those recommendations included:

  1. The Aviation and Airspace Security Division (ASD) develops and implements a process for submitting counter-drone operator request details for leadership review
  2. ADS creates training standards for protective divisions operating counter-drone systems, including training on repairing malfunctioning counter-drone systems
  3. ADS coordinates with counter-drone vendors to ensure they have sufficient technical support staff to meet Secret Service protective mission needs
  4. The Office of Protective Operations (OPO) updates policies for planning event security to require communications room staff to inform the protective detail about searches for suspicious persons
  5. The Protective Intelligence Assessment Division (PID) develops and implements policy and procedure for receiving and requesting permission to share intelligence with field offices assigned to events to ensure timely and efficient sharing of classified intelligence with on-site Secret Service personnel
  6. OPO updates policies on coordination with partner law enforcement agencies to require lead and site agents to review and confirm state and local enforcement's positions before an event
  7. OPO develops and implements a process to document the identification and blocking of line-of-sight vulnerabilities and the approval of mitigation plans

The OIG said the Secret Service has concurred with all seven recommendations, and that it considers recommendations one, four, and six resolved and closed, while the remaining four remain 'resolved and open.'

The photo of President Trump, fist raised, surrounded by Secret Service agents, was the photo of 2024.

We also remember Corey Comperatore and his family today.

God Bless Corey Comperatore.