Five critical failures that led to the attempt on Trump two years ago and why the Secret Service failed to stop it

Two reports by U.S. auditing institutions, made public on July 2, 2026, have highlighted serious shortcomings and a lack of coordination on the part of the U.S. Secret Service, concluding that the attack on Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign could have been prevented.

The new reports reinforce the conclusions of earlier investigations into the July 13, 2024 incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Trump was wounded in the ear during an election rally. One spectator was killed in the attack, while the assailant was shot dead by police snipers.

According to the audit, Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin, had been spotted on the roof of a building with a weapon in his hand approximately two minutes before he opened fire. Despite this, the security team tasked with protecting Trump did not receive timely notice of the threat.

The latest report stresses that the agency failed to identify a drone used by the attacker to survey the rally area, due to insufficient operator training and technical problems. The report also says that agents near Trump were not informed that Crooks was armed with a rifle and was on the roof of a building because of the lack of a joint communications center with local authorities.

The audit also notes that the area outside the event perimeter had not been properly secured, even though Pennsylvania State Police had earlier warned that the area remained unprotected. The report adds that not all available means were used to block the line of sight between the attacker and Trump.

“The lack of clear policies and procedures, limited information-sharing, as well as poor cooperation with state and local authorities created the conditions for the assassination attempt not to be prevented,” the report says.

A second report reveals that the Secret Service was also facing a pronounced staffing shortage. During fiscal years 2023 and 2024, the average vacancy rate reached 21.4%, forcing the agency to rely on large amounts of overtime and assistance from other law enforcement agencies.

The data show that agents logged around 1.2 million overtime hours, leading to staff fatigue and an increase in resignations.

For its part, the agency said that since the incident it has taken a series of steps to correct most of the shortcomings identified by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security.

In its response, the Secret Service said it is now “stronger and more capable than it was in 2024,” thanks to institutional reforms, investments in technology, and improved recruitment processes. According to the agency, the average time to hire a special agent is 326 days, while for a police officer it is 256 days, following the simplification of bureaucratic procedures.