Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has responded to accusations from Senator Rand Paul regarding resource denials for Donald Trump’s July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman’s assassination attempt left one dead and several wounded.
The confrontation centers on conflicting accounts about whether the Secret Service denied additional security resources for the Pennsylvania event. Paul’s Senate committee found that the agency denied multiple requests for staff, assets, and resources to protect Trump during his presidential campaign, including at least two requests specifically for the Butler rally.
Cheatle, who resigned following the incident, had previously testified before a House panel that the agency did not deny any requests for the rally. However, in a statement released Sunday responding to the Senate report, Cheatle maintained her position, stating: “For the Butler rally, I actually did direct additional assets to be provided, particularly in the form of agency counter-snipers.”
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, chaired by Paul, released a 31-page report on July 13, 2025, exactly one year after the assassination attempt. The committee conducted 17 interviews with Secret Service members and reviewed thousands of legal documents before concluding that the events represented a cascade of preventable failures.
According to the Senate findings, the Secret Service’s War Room denied a request for anti-drone systems at the Butler rally because resources had already been allocated for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. The agency also failed to provide a Counter Assault Team liaison to coordinate between its agents and local SWAT teams on the ground before the rally.
The report detailed how 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to evade detection for nearly 45 minutes before climbing onto a building with a clear sight line to Trump’s speaking position, just 157 yards away. Crooks fired eight shots with an AR-style rifle before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper. Rally attendee Corey Comperatore was killed, and two others were wounded, while a bullet grazed Trump’s ear.
Paul’s committee found at least 10 major requests for additional resources were denied or left unfulfilled during the 2024 campaign. The denials included counter-sniper teams, which were only approved after senior officials with the Secret Service’s Office of Protective Operations intervened. These counter-snipers ultimately neutralized Crooks.
The Secret Service faced additional criticism for communication breakdowns and technology failures. Ten days before the rally, agency officials received classified intelligence about a threat to Trump’s life, likely from Iran related to the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani. However, due to siloed information-sharing practices, this intelligence was not communicated to local law enforcement or the advance team planning for the Butler event.
Anti-drone technology malfunctioned for hours before the rally, with repairs handled by an agent lacking proper training. During this time, Crooks flew a drone over the event site undetected. Local law enforcement and Secret Service agents also struggled with spotty cell phone reception that prevented real-time information sharing.
Following the incident, the Secret Service suspended six personnel without pay, with penalties ranging from 10 to 42 days. Deputy Director Matt Quinn indicated the agency would not terminate employees but instead focus on addressing root causes of operational failures. Those suspended were placed in restricted roles with less operational responsibility upon their return.
The agency has implemented 21 of 46 congressional recommendations, including creating an Aviation Division for drone operations, purchasing mobile command vehicles, and acquiring armored ATVs for golf course security. Policy changes include revised procedures for coordinating with local law enforcement and clarifying responsibilities for events involving protectees.
Current Secret Service Director Sean Curran, who was part of Trump’s protective detail during the Butler incident and was appointed by Trump to lead the agency, emphasized that nothing is more important than the safety and security of protectees. The agency maintains that significant reforms have been undertaken to prevent similar incidents.
The assassination attempt prompted Cheatle’s resignation and triggered multiple investigations by Congress, with lawmakers from both parties questioning security failures that allowed a 20-year-old to target a former president. A bipartisan House task force later determined the incident was preventable, though it found no singular decision enabled the near-assassination.