Opinion

The Secret Service’s serious failure: Letters to the Editor — July 17, 2024

The Issue: The Secret Service’s failure to prevent the sniper attack on former President Donald Trump.

The roof where the shooter was lying should have been under the direct observation of the Secret Service (“Gunman’s easy view to a kill,” July 16).

They should have had at least two or three a🅺gent🌜s on the highest roof in that warehouse area.

There, they wou🎀ld have seen the sniper and killed him befo♐re he was able to fire.

The roof was within 150 yards of the stage former President Donald Trump was speaking from and had an unobstructed line of si🌺ght.

No one should have been on ꦦa roof that had a clear view within 1,500 yards.

If the area cannot be secured from snipers, there ꦦshould be bulletproof glass a𝕴round the stage or podium.

This is not rocket science.

Wayne Johnson

Alexandria, Va.

The Secret Service really blew this one.

How could they have utterly failed to cover every single building within shooting distance of Tru🌊mp?

𒆙Many years ago, I was visiting Jerusalem and staying at the King David Hotel.

Ano🐓ther guest was then-Secretary of State Warren C𓆉hristopher.

Every building around the hotel was covered ꦜby sharpshooters.

What happened here?

Harvey Strickon

Great Neck

What happene♓d to Donald Trump on Saturday night in Pennsylvania is a sad c🔯ommentary.

Whether you are a Trump su🃏pporter or not, the heinous act was deeply disturbing.

I respe🅠ct the Secret Service, but I feel the agency didn’t do a good job in advance work.

Ho🎶w did the shooter get access to his weapon and the warehouse roof?

Apparently, he was spotted by spectatoꦺrs before the shots rang out, yet agents didn’t act.

Matt Engel

Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

There ♔is a lot of finger-pointing between the Secret Service ꧃and the FBI regarding Trump’s attempted assassination.

Right now, that should sit on the back burner.

What should be applauded are the bravery and 🐼quickness of the Secret Service agents who literally covered ▨President Trump with their own bodies, knowing they could be shot.

Save th🅠e bashing for a bit and praise the courage of the Secret Service.

Lorraine Fittipaldi

Apollo Beach, Fla.

Why, in this♚ day and age of ಞmodern technology, didn’t the Secret Service have drones checking the perimeter?

Patricia Venalek

Macomb, Mich.

Why didn’t the Secret Service secure the rooftops of the few small buildings overlooking the♕ rally site?

Why did they fire on the assailan🌜t only after he had shot Trump and others at the rally, despite being advised minutes previously by bystanders that a man with a rifle was crawling across a rooftop overlooking the v♉enue?

Is the Secret Service that incompetent?

It’s almost as if the agency hierarchy, or the counter-assault teams employed by them at this venue, wer✃e attempting to fඣacilitate the assassination they were ostensibly trying to prevent.

Richard Sautner

Ridgewood, NJ

It is obvious to everyone that the Secret Service completely dropped the ball by not having someone covering t꧙he roof.

But rest assured, we’ll 𓄧see few firings because the Biden administration will likely refuse to fire DEI appointments.

Jake McNicholas

Whitestone

Florida Rep. Mike Waltz has accused the Secret Servic♒e of refusing to provide requested additional protection for Trump.

The Secret Service then blamed local police for failing🎐 to secure an area outside the agents’ perimeter of responsibility.

This sounds like an admission.

The head of the Secret Service should resign.

Jorge Sierra

The Bronx

The Se꧟cꦆret Service did a poor job of getting Trump into the emergency vehicle.

It seems they surrounded him with all agents being 6 feet or less, whiꦚle Trump iꦡs 6 feet 4 inches.

If you look at the video, it shows his head above theirs and availabl⛦e🐓 for another clear shot.

Michael Shapiro

Boca Raton, Fla.

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