President Donald Trump marked the second anniversary of the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Monday by crediting God for his survival, while a new federal watchdog report renewed scrutiny of the failures that allowed a gunman to open fire from a nearby roof.
Trump reflected on the July 13, 2024, attack during a Monday interview on Fox & Friends.
“I got lucky. God was watching,” Trump said. “So God was with me.”
Trump said a small turn of his head toward an immigration chart kept the bullet from striking him more directly. He recalled feeling a sharp pain in his right ear before Secret Service agents pulled him to the stage floor.
The attack in Butler
At about 6:11 p.m., 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight rounds from the roof of the American Glass Research complex near the Butler Farm Show grounds. The gunfire injured Trump, killed former Buffalo Township fire chief Corey Comperatore and wounded rallygoers David Dutch and James Copenhaver. A Secret Service counter-sniper killed Crooks.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Trump rose after agents shielded him, raised his fist and called on supporters to “fight” before agents escorted him from the stage.
Comperatore, 50, died while shielding his wife and daughters from the gunfire, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Watchdog details 102 missed transmissions
The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General report concluded that the Secret Service missed multiple opportunities to prevent or disrupt the attack.
The agency failed to establish a joint communications room with local law enforcement. Secret Service personnel consequently did not receive 102 radio transmissions about an escalating search for Crooks. The agency received only five phone calls and three text messages about him, and Trump’s protective detail never received an alert about the suspicious person before the shooting.
The report also found that Crooks flew a drone over the rally area for nearly nine minutes before the attack. A malfunctioning counter-drone system and an undertrained operator allowed the flight to go undetected.
Secret Service personnel had identified the American Glass Research complex as a line-of-sight concern before the rally, but agents did not ensure that law enforcement secured the property or block the rooftop’s view of the stage, according to the report.
Accountability remains under scrutiny
The Secret Service accepted the inspector general’s seven recommendations and said it had already implemented many of the proposed changes through ongoing reforms.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the agency suspended six agents without pay for periods ranging from 10 to 42 days. Agency leaders described the Butler breakdown as a systemic failure rather than the misconduct of a single person.
A Senate report released on the first anniversary criticized the lack of firings and found failures involving staffing requests, threat intelligence, planning and coordination with local law enforcement. A separate independent panel previously called for leadership changes and a renewed focus on the Secret Service’s protective mission, as covered by DX.
Two years later
The Secret Service has said it strengthened communications and expanded coordination with state and local agencies while enhancing protective operations after the Butler attack.
Two years later, federal reviews continue to trace the attack to failures in planning, communication and execution. Trump continues to describe his survival as an act of providence.
Provided by Dallas Express
