Mobile Courant

On September 17, 2024, U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) sent a letter to U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr., urging the agency to enhance security measures for President Trump following a recent assassination attempt. The senators commended the Secret Service for their swift response but emphasized the need for additional protective resources.

“It is imperative that the USSS detail assigned to President Trump be afforded additional protective resources, including greater staffing capabilities that would allow agents to secure a broader perimeter. These measures would better safeguard President Trump’s life and help ease concerns that there will be additional attempts made,” the senators wrote.

The letter was also signed by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL).

The letter highlighted deficiencies in President Trump's United States Secret Service (USSS) protective detail. It referenced an incident on September 15, 2024, where an individual with a rifle accessed a location approximately 400 yards from President Trump and remained undetected for about 12 hours before being apprehended.

“We commend USSS agents for their actions taken on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The agent who first noticed the rifle barrel sticking through the fence displayed great courage and bravery in his decision to fire on the suspected assassin,” stated the letter.

The senators contrasted this event with another incident on July 13, 2024, in Butler County, Pennsylvania, where lapses in security led to an attack on President Trump and resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore.

“President Trump’s team has acknowledged that he is operating with a detail unequal to the threat environment and has repeatedly appealed to the USSS for more protective resources,” noted the letter.

Despite these requests, it was reported that previous appeals for increased security measures were rejected due to staffing shortages and other constraints. The senators stressed that continuing to neglect these requests could constitute malfeasance given recent events.

“It is imperative that the USSS detail assigned to President Trump be afforded additional protective resources,” reiterated the senators.

Senator Tuberville has been vocal about holding the Secret Service accountable following assassination attempts on President Trump's life. He previously called for the dismissal of former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle after failures during an earlier attempt on July 13, 2024. Senator Tuberville continues to advocate for necessary resources to ensure Trump's safety.

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