It’s now been exactly two months since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In that period of time, we have watched a Secret Service director tie herself in knots to avoid making herself or her agency accountable for the near-murder of a presidential candidate, and then resign when it became obvious that the scrutiny was coming from both sides of the aisle and no one was going to save her job. We’ve seen the new acting Secret Service director not be much better on accountability when it came to explaining what happened. We’ve learned that agents were placed on leave – but not fired – after the assassination attempt and during the investigation. We’ve learned that some of the agents assigned to Donald Trump on that day were not Secret Service at all, but Homeland Security agents who had done a two-hour online training webinar.

One of the most important things that we have to remember is that the Secret Service is tasked with the safety and security of elected officials from both sides of the aisle. When a failure like the attempted Trump assassination occurs, and then the agency itself is not forthcoming or transparent with the explanations of the failures that led to Donald Trump being allowed to go onstage that day, it makes both parties angry. This agency is supposed to be the last line of protection for our elected leaders. And when they fail, bad things can happen. And it very nearly did, just two months ago. Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned, but no one has been fired. Agents are on leave, but there’s been no actual consequences for what happened. And apparently, some agents are bailing out and retiring in order to avoid being involved in an investigation at all.

… Several senior Secret Service officials who planned to retire soon have been encouraged to do so more urgently to escape the scrutiny from Congress over the next several months.

Fox News has been informed that several high-level Secret Service officials who have either direct or indirect connections to the Butler, Pennsylvania security situation are retiring. While the employees are eligible for retirement, they’ve been encouraged by senior leadership to do so more quickly to avoid lengthy congressional interviews and investigations.

This information is coming to light at the same time that Acting Director Ronald Rowe gave a closed-door update to members of Congress on Thursday. After that meeting, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said to the press that the American people will be “shocked” by the information.

Blumenthal made the remarks while talking to reporters after Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe gave members new information during a closed-door meeting about the investigation into the assassination attempt.

“I think the American people are going to be shocked, astonished, and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures by the Secret Service in this assassination attempt on the former president,” Blumenthal said. “But I think they also ought to be appalled and astonished by the failure of the Department of Homeland Security to be more forthcoming, to be as candid and frank as it should be to them in terms of providing information.”

He said that investigators are pressing DHS to give them the full truth and to turn over all the documents that they have related to the matter.

Blumenthal said that he would not disclose what new information he had learned, but noted that it would “shock the American people” about the “lapses and lags in the protection that was afforded that day and the breakdown in communication.”

🚨🚨🚨WATCH

Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal: The report on Trump assassination attempt "will absolutely shock the American people." pic.twitter.com/o9VT4obzjZ

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 13, 2024

If even Blumenthal, a Democrat who is no fan of Donald Trump, is making those kinds of statements, the information has to be pretty damning for the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security. So, how long until the American people can be find out what Rowe just told these Congressional members? The task force that is investigating the assassination attempt will apparently hold its first public hearing later this month, but Senator Josh Hawley was not nearly as hesitant as his colleague Blumenthal to share information. Not that this is the information coming directly from Rowe – Hawley says that his information is coming via a whistleblower.

NEW @SecretService BOMBSHELL: Sen Josh Hawley says the Lead Secret Service advance agent was a woman from Pittsburgh's field office. She FAILED a key exam, but disgraced former director Kim Cheatle promoted her anyway. Now Homeland Security is telling the Secret Service to cover… pic.twitter.com/iYG6Elw4Y7

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) September 13, 2024

The media may have moved on to the next shiny object, but the way that Blumenthal and Hawley are talking, the rot goes far beyond one incompetent field agent in charge of the Butler rally planning. This looks to be systemic failures that now even Homeland Security is trying to cover up in order to cover their asses. And they have every incentive to cover their asses, because their failures led to the (thankfully) superficial wounding of a presidential candidate, the serious wounding of two bystanders, and the death of Corey Comperatore. If Homeland Security and the Secret Service are found to be liable for the failure to stop the shooter that day, just how much money will the Comperatore family be offered so they DON’T sue the pants off the Secret Service?

So Hawley’s comments open up a whole new set of questions regarding this investigation – and we haven’t even got answers to the questions surrounding the assassination yet! Let’s consider what we now should be asking Acting Director Rowe and Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas.
1) Who is telling the Secret Service to NOT cooperate with the Congressional investigation?
2) Who is “encouraging” agents to retire, rather than testify to Congress?
3) Who is this agent who former Director Kimberly Cheatle promoted, and why was she made the lead advance agent?
4) Why were there not enough trained agents available for the Butler rally?
5) If Cheatle promoted someone who had failed exams, are there other agents who also failed exams who were also passed through and promoted?
6) Did Acting Director Rowe have a role in reducing Donald Trump’s security, as has been alleged by whistleblowers?
7) Who designated the Butler rally as a “loose security event,” despite known assassination threats by Iran against President Trump?

The Comperatore family deserves answers. The American people deserve answers. That the Secret Service is trying to slow walk this investigation by not handing over documents and having agents retire, is beyond infuriating. This Congressional task force should start throwing subpoenas around and dragging people in to testify, immediately. ESPECIALLY if they think we will all be “shocked” by the information. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Get started, Blumenthal. Go for it, Hawley.

Featured image: video screenshot of live event via media and AP specifically, editorial use only, cropped and modified