Law enforcement at Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally reportedly had an individual stationed atop the “sloped” roof used by the shooter prior to the incident, but it was abandoned because of “hot weather,” according to a whistleblower familiar with Secret Service planning.
Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley released a letter on X (formerly known as Twitter) to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday, calling out Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s previous claim that security had not been stationed on the roof where gunshots were later fired from due to it being “sloped,” according to NBC News.
“Contrary to Director Cheatle’s public statements about the ‘safety’ of the sloped roof of American Glass Research Building 6, one whistleblower with direct knowledge of Secret Service planning for the event alleges that there was supposed to be a law enforcement presence on the roof that day,” Hawley wrote.
Hawley claimed a whistleblower alleges “at least one” security agent had been posted on the rooftop of the American Glass Research Building 6, but later “abandoned his or her post,” leaving law enforcement to “forego patrolling” the building.
“In fact, the whistleblower alleges that at least one individual was specifically assigned to the roof for the duration of the rally, but this person abandoned his or her post due to the hot weather. The whistleblower further alleges that concerns over the heat prompted law enforcement to forego patrolling Building 6 and instead to station security personnel inside the building,” Hawley wrote.
NEW – Whistleblowers tell me law enforcement personnel were in fact STATIONED to the roof the day of the Trump rally, but abandoned it, citing the heat. They also say law enforcement were supposed to be patrolling the building, but opted to stay inside instead pic.twitter.com/aIVNSPHUF6
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 22, 2024
Following the attempted assassination against former President Donald Trump on July 13, Cheatle received major backlash over the lack of apparent security lapses under the Secret Service’s watch. Within a first interview after the incident, Cheatle told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas that the building had been outside of Secret Service’s perimeter and stated local law enforcement was responsible for the “outer perimeter of the building.”
Roughly 30-minutes prior to the attack by 20-year-old Matthew Thomas Crooks, law enforcement sources told WPXI that local law enforcement reportedly spotted the shooter. Additionally, a law enforcement officer had climbed up the ladder to the roof, however, retreated after the 20-year-old pivoted his weapon towards the officer, according to The Associated Press.
Recent reports also claim Crooks had been able to fly a drone over the rally site hours before the event on a programmed flight path, and possibly flying the drone more than once in order to research and scope the area, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Despite calls for Cheatle to resign, the Secret Service director has remained firm in staying within her position.
The Secret Service, Homeland Security, and Hawley’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News)
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