Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday released bodycam footage of local law enforcement and United States Secret Service (USSS) personnel responding to the scene of the shooter in Butler, Pennsylvania. The video was obtained from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit in compliance with congressional requests.
The footage records Beaver County and USSS officers gathering facts and recapping a timeline of events leading up to the shooter’s attempt against former President Donald Trump.
The video confirms:
- Local law enforcement saw the shooter prior to his presence on the roof.
- Local law enforcement shared pictures of the suspected shooter with USSS, raising questions with respect to exactly when the pictures were shared.
- Law enforcement lost track of the suspected shooter.
- Law enforcement sought access to a drone to secure the water tower after the shooting.
Grassley said the following regarding the records release:
“For the past 10 days, questions have only been building regarding the catastrophic security failure that occurred on July 13. Federal agencies, particularly the Secret Service, have failed to be transparent with the American people. This assassination attempt is a matter of substantial public interest, and the public’s business ought to be public. I’m releasing these records as part of my efforts to get answers and hold agencies accountable.”
Grassley additionally sent an oversight letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and USSS Acting Director Ronald Rowe containing documentation of a Butler County site plan and USSS drone surveillance personnel assigned to the July 13 event.
Read Grassley’s letter HERE and below.
July 23, 2024
VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Ronald Rowe
Acting Director
United States Secret Service
Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Acting Director Rowe:
I write to you to again request the Secret Service operational security plan, and related records, for the July 13, 2024, campaign event held by former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. My office has received records related to the apparent location of some law enforcement posts during the July 13, 2024, event to include Butler County and Beaver County Emergency Services Units (ESU) with assignment at the AGR building. My office has also obtained the below color-coded document indicating what appears to be some state law enforcement sectors for the Trump rally and the document notes each sector is highlighted by “order of importance.” Is this document accurate? Did local law enforcement have the shared responsibility with Secret Service to cover the AGR building? To better understand the full security posture of the event, the Secret Service must provide equivalent records.
Additional records I’ve obtained show that a Secret Service Counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operator was on the personnel list assigned to the July 13, 2024 event, and then-Director Cheatle testified yesterday that “there are times during a security plan that the Secret Service does deploy an asset like a drone.”[1] Yet, it’s reported that the gunman flew a video capable drone over the event site hours before former President Trump took the stage, which may have helped him plan the attack.[2] Is that reporting accurate? Is the below document accurate?
On July 16, 2024, I wrote to DHS and the Secret Service requesting information and records about the catastrophic security failures that resulted in the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt on former President Trump, which resulted in one person being killed and two others being seriously wounded.[3] On July 20, 2024, I provided DHS and the Secret Service portions of emails relating to “post standers” and requested to know the total number of post standers at the Jill Biden and Trump events on July 13, 2024, as well as the total number of federal personnel present at the Trump rally. Recently, I have also obtained video footage of the aftermath of the shooting, in which local law enforcement can be heard discussing drone availability to clear the water tower.[4]
The Secret Service must provide its operational security plan showing the locations and roles of all federal personnel assigned to secure the July 13, 2024 event. Please provide answers to the following no later than July 30, 2024.
- Did USSS, local, or state law enforcement deploy UASs or counter UASs for the July 13, 2024 rally? If not, why not? If yes, provide a detailed description of their use.
- Did the USSS receive requests from local or state law enforcement agencies to operate UASs and/or counter UASs before or during the July 13, 2024, event? If yes, did the USSS approve these requests? If not, why not?
- Was there an unauthorized UAS intrusion within the restricted airspace of the event? If so, when? Please provide all records.[5]
- Was the Counter UAS operator aware of the intrusion and when? Did the Counter UAS operator deploy countermeasures in response to the unauthorized intrusion? If not, why not? If yes, provide records of the countermeasures deployed.
- Who at USSS was responsible for making the final decision to deploy UAS or counter UAS for the July 13, 2024, event?
- Provide all records between and among USSS, local law enforcement, state law enforcement, sheriffs, and federal law enforcement related to the use of UAS and counter UAS for the July 13, 2024 event with former President Trump.
- Since January 2021, has the USSS deployed UASs or counter UASs during campaign events and rallies? If yes, provide a detailed description of their use, including but not limited to the date, location, event, protectee, and number of UASs or counter UASs deployed.
- Provide all DHS and USSS guidance, policies, and similar documents concerning training requirements for UAS and counter UAS and a detailed description of the training.
- Was the water tower cleared in advance of the rally? If not, why not?
- Did the water tower have any role in the events at the Trump rally? Please describe.
Thank you for your prompt review and response. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Randolph and Silvia Symber on my Committee staff at (202) 224-0642.
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
Ranking Member
