US Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has released a damning final report detailing widespread failures by the United States Secret Service (USSS) leading up to the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.
The report, made public exactly one year after the shooting, alleges systemic negligence, internal miscommunication, and poor coordination between the USSS and local law enforcement. The attack, which left Trump injured and firefighter Corey Comperatore dead, occurred after a gunman climbed onto the roof of a nearby building and opened fire.
“This was a scandal, not just a tragedy,” Says Paul
“This was not a single lapse in judgment,” Sen. Paul said in a statement. “It was a complete breakdown of security at every level—fueled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act on direct threats.”
Paul slammed the agency for failing to act on credible intelligence and denying requests for increased resources in the days leading up to the rally. He also criticised the agency’s lack of accountability, noting that no one has been fired over the incident.
“Despite those failures, no one has been fired. And we only know what little discipline was handed out because I issued a subpoena. That’s unacceptable,” Paul added.
Key findings from the report
The Committee’s year-long investigation included 17 transcribed interviews with USSS personnel and a review of more than 75,000 pages of documents from federal, state, and local agencies. The final report builds upon a preliminary report issued in September 2024 and includes new evidence.
Among the most serious findings:
Ignored Intelligence: A report of a suspicious individual with a rangefinder on a nearby rooftop was received 25 minutes before shots were fired, yet no action was taken.
Denied resource requests: The USSS rejected multiple internal requests for additional staff, equipment, and counter-sniper assets ahead of the rally.
False testimony: Then-USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle falsely told Congress that no requests for additional resources had been denied.
Limited accountability: Only six agents received formal discipline, and no one has been dismissed. In two cases, initial disciplinary actions were reduced.
Communication failures: Critical threat intelligence was not passed to the security detail protecting Trump, nor were local law enforcement properly integrated into the advance security process.
Failure to deploy counter-snipers: Despite intelligence briefings and policy authorizations, counter-sniper teams were not present at either the Butler rally or an earlier rally in Doral, Florida.
The report strongly recommends sweeping reforms to address what it calls a “shocking refusal” to take preemptive security actions. Paul urged Congress and the next administration to overhaul protocols for rally protection, intelligence sharing, and field-level communication.
“We must hold individuals accountable and ensure reforms are fully implemented so this never happens again,” he said.
On July 13, 2024, a gunman armed with a rifle opened fire from the rooftop of the American Glass Research building near the Butler Farm Show venue, striking four people and killing one. Then former President Trump was hit in the ear but survived. The shooter was killed by law enforcement on the scene.
The attack marked the first attempted assassination of a US presidential candidate in over four decades and raised immediate questions about security breakdowns.