BETHAL PARK, Penn – The U.S. Secret Service had availability to use drones and chose not to at the fateful Pennsylvania rally that spiraled into an assassination attempt against former President Trump, Rep. Michael Guest said.
Guest, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital that elected officials were briefed that no counter-drone use from the Secret Service or the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) was used in preparation for and during the Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally on July 13.
The Republican said the PSP revealed it did have the availability of drones but that no requests were made.
“The Secret Service was responsible for the operational plan,” he said. “And they made the decision to not only not fly drones that day but to not station law enforcement on top of a water tower.”
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A Secret Service agent and members of the crowd take cover after gunfire erupted at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., discussed would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks’ drone use before and during the Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/File)
Guest, alongside 10 other bipartisan lawmakers, visited the rally site on July 22. He noted the presence of the water tower, which was among the buildings at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds where Trump held his rally.
“From being at the scene, there was a water tower located roughly 100 yards away from where the shooter was positioned, and if law enforcement had someone up in that water tower, they would have been able to cover the entire perimeter from that elevated position,” he said.
“So clearly another failure that they did not have eyes in the skies that day, either in the form of drones or in the form of having someone in an elevated position that would have been able to look down and cover the rally site.”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle leaves after testifying about the attempted assassination of former President Trump during a House Oversight Committee hearing on July 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. She resigned from her post the next day. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)
Guest said Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned on Tuesday after facing bipartisan backlash for her handling of the rally security, made excuses for the lack of personnel stationed to properly secure former President Trump as well as attendees.
“We heard the excuse made by the director that she felt that the slope of the roof was too steep and it would have endangered the safety of the officers,” he said. “But clearly that is not true. I was there and Rep. Carlos Gimenez, who is 70 years old, easily traversed the roof.”
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Guest said the Secret Service “abysmally” failed because of poor planning, execution and leadership.
“I believe that the planning that day, the execution of the planning and the leadership, those were all three abysmal failures that resulted in the shooting of President Donald Trump,” he said.
A Secret Service member and the crowd are seen at Trump’s rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Guest noted that Congress increased the Secret Service’s budget this year, swelling it to more than $3 billion.
“Congress increased the budget of the Secret Service knowing it was a presidential year, knowing that they would need additional resources, additional personnel,” he said.
“We actually gave them more resources than they requested to try to make sure that they would be prepared for the protective details that they would have to provide to both presidential and vice presidential candidates,” he said.
This view shows the crowd at former President Trump’s rally prior to the shooting. (Fox News)
Guest noted that the dates of key rallies, the party’s conventions and the dates of the elections “should not have surprised the Secret Service.”
“They were unprepared,” he said. “And I put that, and I place the blame on the director and the leadership of the Secret Service.”
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Guest said that if the Secret Service feels like it does not have enough resources to protect U.S. leaders, then it should let Congress know.
“This is the agency that has been tasked with protecting federal elected officials. That is their No. 1 top priority,” he said. “It is nothing more than an excuse to be able to try to cast blame on the fact that there were no resources available.”
“If they don’t have enough money in their budget to protect elected officials, let Congress know so we can appropriate the money so that they can carry out their mission,” Guest said. “They failed to do so.”
An FBI spokesperson tells Fox News Digital that the agency is “devoting enormous resources” to the investigation into the Trump rally shooting. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana/File)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, an FBI spokesperson said the agency is “devoting enormous resources” to the investigation into the shooting.
“Since the day of the attack, the FBI has been consistent and clear that the shooting was an attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims,” the FBI said.
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“FBI Director Wray provided extensive congressional testimony on Wednesday about the FBI’s investigation,” they said. “This was a heinous attack and the FBI is devoting enormous resources to learn everything possible about the shooter and what led to his act of violence. The FBI’s Shooting Reconstruction Team continues to examine evidence from the scene, including bullet fragments, and the investigation remains ongoing.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Secret Service.
