PA - Assassination attempt, shooting injures former POTUS Donald Trump, leaves 1 spectator deceased two in critical condition, 13 July 2024 #2

[Inthedetails]

There’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot, the sources said.

Snipped

Prediction: That won't stop conspiracy theorists from connecting TC to Iran.

But, it is a huge national security issue when a local kid was able to pull this off for the whole world to see.

jmo

 

[justtrish]

From above link:
"Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor rallies, which pose greater risks than events to which the agency can better control access, people briefed on the matter said. The warnings have been more general in nature, the sources said."

This seems like the SS passing the buck and playing the blame game.

This seems obvious though that outdoor events have different security risks than indoor events, but that doesn't mean it's Trumps responsibility to just pick indoor places to make it easier for the secret service. They are one of the best security agencies in the world. They know exactly how to keep people safe indoors and outdoors and this was a failure that falls directly at their feet. The area was not that large and the number of buildings where someone could camp out and get a shot at the stage were not that many. They keep our president safe all around the world in countries that hate the US and even in war zones.. and they failed right there in middle of nowhere PA. Imagine if it was a trained sniper hired by a foreign country to come take someone out.

 

[Kaley Smith]

I’d have to imagine that black knew of gass’s feelings towards trump before gass said that.

…
Old saying.

If you want to know what I think about you introduce me to your friends.

I’d have to imagine that black knew of gass’s feelings towards trump before gass said that.

…
Old saying.

If you want to know what I think about you introduce me to your friends.

Negative feelings about Trump are one thing; wishing him dead is totally different.

 

[indicolite22]

He picked the biggest bully.

Or his bullies were openly Trump supporters. But bullying supposedly happened years ago. Something more recent likely triggered him, IMO. Or perhaps he didn't have access to weapons before.

 

[Kaley Smith]

Did I hear correctly that there were 50,000 people at the rally? While it is certainly hard to keep an eye on that many people in an open air space, all of the surrounding buildings should have been secured. That's a nobrainer. I wonder who was assigned to be on that roof?

 

[justtrish]

That’s what I was trying to figure out. From what I could gather, there were events scheduled that were announced 2-3 weeks prior.

I haven’t been able to find the announcement for this one.

ETA: The rally was announced on July 3, which means he had 10 days to prepare.

This seals it for me, targeting Trump, at least on that particular day, was not part of his original plan.

That’s not long enough to plan to build bombs, acquire the materials, and then actually build them.

He was either planning to target trump elsewhere, or more likely, planning some sort of mass casualty attack before he pivoted when opportunity struck.

I think it's possible he knew PA was a battleground state and if the target was Trump, he knew Trump would make stops in PA. Maybe he didn't know when or where exactly, but safe to say he could predict that there would be rallies over the next few months.

I do wonder what these bombs were for exactly. Were they the back up plan, were they part of the bigger plan, but he didn't have time to detonate it.. or did he try to detonate it and it didn't work? I am curious if it was a bomb he was going to place somewhere else or was he planning to blow his car up as part of the bomb. Him having a transmitter on him is what makes it seem like he was going to remotely detonate it... where was his car? Was it in a location that could have taken out Trumps motorcade as it entered? Was he going to use it as a distraction and in the chaos then shoot?

 

[thebedbug]

Wow, this makes the security breakdown all the more shocking:

CNN —
US authorities obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Donald Trump, a development that led to the Secret Service increasing security around the former president in recent weeks, multiple people briefed on the matter told CNN.

There’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot, the sources said.

The existence of the intelligence threat from a hostile foreign intelligence agency — and the enhanced security for Trump — raises new questions about the security lapses at the Saturday rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and how a 20-year-old man managed to access a nearby rooftop to fire shots that injured the former president.

It’s not clear whether the specifics of the Iran threat were shared with the Trump campaign, which said in a statement: “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to The United States Secret Service.”

The Secret Service recently “added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement on Sunday.

Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor rallies, which pose greater risks than events to which the agency can better control access, people briefed on the matter said. The warnings have been more general in nature, the sources said.

At one point during this election cycle, the campaign stopped holding spontaneous off-the-record events where guests weren’t swept by Secret Service beforehand due to security concerns, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

The FBI, which is conducting the investigation into Saturday’s shooting, declined to comment.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/16/politics/iran-plot-assassinate-trump-secret-service/index.html?Date=20240716&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1721153794&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Any PotUS or former PotUS always has a roster of groups/people who would like to do them harm. It's kind of in the job description. Having said that, I've always thought that Trump's assassination of Soleimani was different and would probably end up being one of those things where... whether it was against Trump, his family, other US officials/citizens... the response from his "people" would eventually come.

From that perspective and given the likelihood of such a thing throwing the USA into chaos, I would take those Secret Service warnings as most serious.

 

[MassGuy]

Did I hear correctly that there were 50,000 people at the rally? While it is certainly hard to keep an eye on that many people in an open air space, all of the surrounding buildings should have been secured. That's a nobrainer. I wonder who was assigned to be on that roof?

I heard several thousand. It was a relatively small outdoor venue.

 

[Kaley Smith]

Or his bullies were openly Trump supporters. But bullying supposedly happened years ago. Something more recent likely triggered him, IMO. Or perhaps he didn't have access to weapons befor

I think it's possible he knew PA was a battleground state and if the target was Trump, he knew Trump would make stops in PA. Maybe he didn't know when or where exactly, but safe to say he could predict that there would be rallies over the next few months.

I do wonder what these bombs were for exactly. Were they the back up plan, were they part of the bigger plan, but he didn't have time to detonate it.. or did he try to detonate it and it didn't work? I am curious if it was a bomb he was going to place somewhere else or was he planning to blow his car up as part of the bomb. Him having a transmitter on him is what makes it seem like he was going to remotely detonate it... where was his car? Was it in a location that could have taken out Trumps motorcade as it entered? Was he going to use it as a distraction and in the chaos then shoot?

He might have wanted to set off the bomb in his car as a distraction?

 

[Elley Mae]

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said in a television interview Tuesday morning that part of the reason the agency did not require a police officer to stand atop the roof of the Agr building was its slope. “That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point, and so there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,” she said. “So, you know, the decision was made to secure the building from inside.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/16/trump-rally-shooter-building-police-snipers/

…
If I’m not mistaken the sniper who shot him was on a sloped roof.

…

The hearing with cheatle on 22nd should be interesting.

 

[formerlyme]

Wow, this makes the security breakdown all the more shocking:

CNN —
US authorities obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Donald Trump, a development that led to the Secret Service increasing security around the former president in recent weeks, multiple people briefed on the matter told CNN.

There’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot, the sources said.

The existence of the intelligence threat from a hostile foreign intelligence agency — and the enhanced security for Trump — raises new questions about the security lapses at the Saturday rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and how a 20-year-old man managed to access a nearby rooftop to fire shots that injured the former president.

It’s not clear whether the specifics of the Iran threat were shared with the Trump campaign, which said in a statement: “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to The United States Secret Service.”

The Secret Service recently “added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement on Sunday.

Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor rallies, which pose greater risks than events to which the agency can better control access, people briefed on the matter said. The warnings have been more general in nature, the sources said.

At one point during this election cycle, the campaign stopped holding spontaneous off-the-record events where guests weren’t swept by Secret Service beforehand due to security concerns, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

The FBI, which is conducting the investigation into Saturday’s shooting, declined to comment.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/16/politics/iran-plot-assassinate-trump-secret-service/index.html?Date=20240716&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1721153794&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor rallies, which pose greater risks than events to which the agency can better control access

That line says a lot as well.

 

[Eli9]

Did I hear correctly that there were 50,000 people at the rally? While it is certainly hard to keep an eye on that many people in an open air space, all of the surrounding buildings should have been secured. That's a nobrainer. I wonder who was assigned to be on that roof?

Trump does draw a large crowd for sure. And no one was assigned to the roof due to safety concerns of the slope. Yes, you read that right.

Secret Service boss cites hazard of putting agent on 'sloped roof'

Embattled Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle said in an interview the 'buck stops' with her, and said a decision was made not to post an agent on a 'sloped roof' that a shooter used to fire on Trump.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,' she told ABC News in an interview Tuesday.

'And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside.'

 

[justtrish]

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said in a television interview Tuesday morning that part of the reason the agency did not require a police officer to stand atop the roof of the Agr building was its slope. “That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point, and so there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,” she said. “So, you know, the decision was made to secure the building from inside.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/16/trump-rally-shooter-building-police-snipers/

…
If I’m not mistaken the sniper who shot him was on a sloped roof.

…

The hearing with cheatle on 22nd should be interesting.

This is laughable because how exactly is a building secured from within? Clearly it isn't and can't be because someone climbed it and was able to shoot people.

The fact it was a sloped roof is exactly what made it ideal for a shooter to hide!! The SS are highly trained individuals that are fully capable of standing or sitting on a slightly sloped roof. Good grief.

 

[formerlyme]

Devils advocate here ...
The secret service has a job, to protect DT life. The secret service did that job. His protection is their goal, everything outside of the bubble landed on the other Law Enforcement who may or may not have been prepared for an event of this type. I am not going to toss LE under the bus. There is no telling what they managed to prevent from happening.
I view it like a solar system DT was the center, SS was protecting that center each outer ring was back up teams. The life that mattered the most in that moment was DT (from a protection standpoint) and he left alive.

Just my opinion.

 

[indicolite22]

Which to me, says there's something missing. Either something LE haven't uncovered yet, or something they have and are keeping from the public while the investigation continues.

jmo

You would think that at least his Google search history could be interesting. Did he know how to evade being traced or did he use a different computer and account?

 

[formerlyme]

You would think that at least his Google search history could be interesting. Did he know how to evade being traced or did he use a different computer and account?

sources say he was pretty computer savvy.

 

[Eli9]

Wow, this makes the security breakdown all the more shocking:

CNN —
US authorities obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Donald Trump, a development that led to the Secret Service increasing security around the former president in recent weeks, multiple people briefed on the matter told CNN.

There’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot, the sources said.

The existence of the intelligence threat from a hostile foreign intelligence agency — and the enhanced security for Trump — raises new questions about the security lapses at the Saturday rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and how a 20-year-old man managed to access a nearby rooftop to fire shots that injured the former president.

It’s not clear whether the specifics of the Iran threat were shared with the Trump campaign, which said in a statement: “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to The United States Secret Service.”

The Secret Service recently “added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement on Sunday.

Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor rallies, which pose greater risks than events to which the agency can better control access, people briefed on the matter said. The warnings have been more general in nature, the sources said.

At one point during this election cycle, the campaign stopped holding spontaneous off-the-record events where guests weren’t swept by Secret Service beforehand due to security concerns, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

The FBI, which is conducting the investigation into Saturday’s shooting, declined to comment.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/16/politics/iran-plot-assassinate-trump-secret-service/index.html?Date=20240716&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1721153794&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Makes you wonder how much security would have been there without the Iranian plot to assassinate the former President. SMH

ETA removed quote

 

[Cryptic]

This should be considered a snafu on the same level as that of the agencies getting blamed. But a snafu by the organizers of the political event.

I dont think it is the fault of the organizers at all.

The event site was easily to secure, Trump was fully "going with the program" and had not pulled any impromptu stunts security wise, the Secret Service has the resources and the experience- well, in the over all sense to secure that type of site.

As a result, the responsibility for lapses for seems to be totally with the Secret Service.

Now, if the fact pattern had been....

- Trump told us one week in advance that he was organizing an outdoor mega maga rally in..... Times Square- impossible to secure. We told Trump that the rally in Times Square was a bad idea to start with, but he insisted (as usual). Then, Trump stops the limousine and starts mixing with crowd two full blocks short of our somewhat secure site. Sure enough, something bad almost happened....

I would agree that it would be the fault of the organizers.

 

[justtrish]

Devils advocate here ...
The secret service has a job, to protect DT life. The secret service did that job. His protection is their goal, everything outside of the bubble landed on the other Law Enforcement who may or may not have been prepared for an event of this type. I am not going to toss LE under the bus. There is no telling what they managed to prevent from happening.
I view it like a solar system DT was the center, SS was protecting that center each outer ring was back up teams. The life that mattered the most in that moment was DT (from a protection standpoint) and he left alive.

Just my opinion.

He didn't leave alive because of the SS though. THAT is the problem. It wasn't prevented at all and people were shot including Trump. That isn't a win in my book. The only reason Trump is alive is because the shooter missed (quite possibly because Trump turned his head to look a different way) not because the SS prevented anything. The SS got lucky.

Edited to add: I don't think it was intentional and I fully respect the job the SS do. I think once he was shot at they bravely jumped on him and kept him safe from that point on absolutely. I do not think it was deliberate and I don't think any of them wanted Trump to get shot..ect.

 

[Eli9]

You would think that at least his Google search history could be interesting. Did he know how to evade being traced or did he use a different computer and account?

Google tracks you. I never use Google. Safari Private Browsing is the way to go. No search history, no auto-fill etc.