(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Following Saturday’s shocking assassination attempt against presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, a video is circulating of a Secret Service sniper seemingly holding his fire until after the shooter fired several times.
Wtf the secret service doesn’t start shooting until after the shooter did? This has so many red flags.
Sniper was 150 yards out. Protocol for secret service is to have entire perimeter 500 yards out covered. His detail got compromised, or this was a mishap of epic proportions. https://t.co/gyoMCWwxQt
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 14, 2024
The footage has already resulted in theories that the Trump assassination attempt may have been an inside job. But according to reporter RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree, it’s the Secret Service’s standard operating procedure to allow a shooter to fire first.
“A source within the Secret Service community tells RealClearPolitics that the agency rules of engagement in this situation are to wait until the president is fired upon to return fire,” Crabtree said on Twitter.
“The Secret Service protocol requires that a counter sniper aware of a potential shooter to radio directly to intelligence division team to respond and investigate. In this case, the investigation may have been cut short by the shooter firing his weapon, so the counter sniper then fired as quickly as possible in return.”
Here’s my reporting on why the Secret Service did not shoot until AFTER the shooter engaged and some context about the House Republicans’ investigation already underway (months before Trump’s assassination attempt) into whether the agency’s DEI policies are affecting its…
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) July 14, 2024
Crabtree’s Secret Service source reportedly said the agency’s policy is designed to prevent fatal misunderstandings.
“You want to take a shot then find out the guy was holding a telescope?” the source suggested. “The Secret Service is by nature reactive…and you better be right when you do react or you’re f—–d.”
Congress is now investigating the Secret Service over the matter.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas early Sunday morning, demanding to see the Secret Service’s rules of engagement. Secret Service is housed within the DHS.
“According to the USSS, the shooter ‘fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.’ This raises serious concerns regarding how a shooter was able to access a rooftop within range and direct line of sight of where President Trump was speaking,” Green told Mayorkas.
NEW: Chairman @RepMarkGreen just sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding the failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/KXZzTZMzG0
— House Homeland GOP (@HomelandGOP) July 14, 2024
“Additionally, some reporting, suggests that the Department of Homeland Security (Department) ‘rebuffed’ multiple requests from President Trump’s security detail to increase protective resources in the weeks preceding this event.”
Green seeks information from the DHS by this Friday.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
