Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Tuesday asked the Secret Service’s new acting director why the “public has lost trust” in the agency’s “mission to protect” after a July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“This agency needs to change, and if not now, when? The next assassination in 30 days?” Blackburn read from an email, reportedly sent by a Secret Service counter sniper, during a Senate hearing involving testimony from Acting U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.
Blackburn also read the last portion of the email, obtained by Real Clear Politics reporter Susan Crabtree and reportedly sent within the agency by the counter sniper, stating that the “motto” of the USSS is “CYA,” an acronym for “cover your a–.”
The Tennessee senator continued: “The public has lost trust in the ability to execute the mission to protect, and I want to know how you feel about the fact that employees in your agency are worried about covering their behind and not worried about protecting a former president.”
TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
The counter sniper who wrote the email apparently sent it to the entire Uniform Division as more information about the assassination attempt became public, according to Crabtree.
For example, Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday released text messages from Butler County, Pennsylvania, showing that snipers spotted shooter Thomas Crooks approximately 90 minutes prior to the moment he fired multiple rounds toward the former president, ultimately killing 50-year-old Corey Comperatore and injuring 74-year-old James Copenhaver and 57-year-old David Dutch.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: SENATE TO GRILL SECRET SERVICE, FBI OFFICIALS
Rowe, who took on the position of director after Kimberly Cheatle resigned last week, told Blackburn that he was “hurt” by the email.
“I’m hurt because my people are hurting right now,” Rowe told Blackburn. “We need them.”
The acting director said “emotions are raw” within the agency right now and that he wants to “hear more” from the agent who wrote the email, describing himself as a Marine as well as a 20-year veteran with the USSS. Rowe added that he is committed to reviewing things and being a “change agent.”
When reached for comment, the Secret Service referred Fox News Digital to Rowe’s testimony.
Rowe was also grilled by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who asked how it was possible that Trump was allowed on stage 17 minutes after reports of a suspicious person.
“No information regarding a weapon on the roof was ever passed to our personnel,” Rowe said.
“How is that even possible?” Lee asked.
That information was “in local law enforcement channels but did not cross over and make it to Secret Service awareness,” Rowe responded. “I think that they were in the midst of dealing with a very critical situation, and they articulated that over the radio, as I understand it. However, it was never relayed over to us.”
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: FBI SAYS GUNMAN CLIMBED HVAC, TRAVERSED ROOFTOPS TO SHOOTING PERCH
The USSS letter comes after the FBI on Monday morning told reporters in a conference call that Crooks accessed the roof of a building near former President Trump’s rally in Butler using HVAC equipment and piping.
Crooks then traversed multiple rooftops before he found his shooting position on top of a building owned by American Glass Research, located near the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds about 150 yards from where the former president spoke at his rally.
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On the day of the rally, Crooks parked his vehicle and flew a drone between about 3:50 p.m. and 4 p.m. about 200 yards from where the former president would be speaking on July 13. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified during a July 17 congressional hearing that Crooks had been at the rally site for about 70 minutes the morning of the assassination attempt.
It is still unclear how Crooks evaded security even after being noticed by law enforcement approximately 90 minutes before shots rang out, but the FBI said more than 300 agents and staff are working “round the clock” to gather facts and put together a clearer timeline of Crooks’ actions.
