The U.S. Secret Service has taken disciplinary action against six agents for their role in last year’s failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The agency confirmed on Thursday that the agents received suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days without pay.
The Secret Service did not release the names of the six agents. All six have also been reassigned to restricted duty or placed in non-operational roles. The disciplinary action marks the one-year anniversary of the attempted shooting, which occurred on July 13, 2024, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The agency described the attack as an “operational failure.” A lone gunman accessed a rooftop with a direct line of sight to Trump during his speech. One bystander was killed, and Trump suffered a minor injury to his ear. Secret Service agents shot and killed the attacker at the scene.
In a recent Fox News interview, Trump said, “There were mistakes made. And that shouldn’t have happened.” He criticized the lack of rooftop security during the event.
The agency said the incident serves as a reminder of the critical need for a “zero-fail mission.” Officials admitted that communication issues, technical failures, and human error all contributed to the events of that day.
Following the incident, congressional bodies made 46 recommendations to improve security. The Secret Service has already implemented 21 of those. Director Sean Curran said new procedures are in place to prevent such incidents in the future.
The statement also mentioned a separate case involving Trump. Just two months after the Butler rally, a man named Ryan Routh allegedly planned to shoot Trump at a Florida golf course. Routh was caught before carrying out the attack and now awaits trial.
The Secret Service emphasized that the disciplinary action against the six agents reflects its commitment to accountability and improvement.
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