by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News July 15, 2026
The Secret Service missed more than 100 radio transmissions from local law enforcement about the suspicious man at President Donald Trump’s July 13, 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania who would later be identified as the shooter, Thomas Crooks, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general report.
The report states that local officers on scene had warned over the radio about a man with a range finder, then a long gun, who took a position on a rooftop with a direct line of sight to Trump.
While Trump was grazed in the ear, firefighter Corey Comperatore lost his life protecting his family, and two others were wounded. Investigators concluded that the communication failures and other security lapses represented missed opportunities that may have prevented the attack.
The DHS report states that the Secret Service failed to carry out and arrange several security measures during Trump’s rally for president on July 13, 2024, at the Butler Fairgrounds, which is located around 44 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sister station WTAE in Pittsburgh reports that the 64-page report outlined the Secret Service’s shortcomings, saying members failed to receive 102 radio transmissions from local authorities concerning an “increasingly intense search for a suspicious person.”
According to the report from OIG, the Secret Service only received five phone calls and three text messages about the shooter, who was later identified as Crooks.
The calls included reports that Crooks had a range finder and a long gun and had taken a position on top of the American Glass Research International complex’s roof.
Revolver News noted: “This report sadly reveals one of two unthinkable scenarios… that the Secret Service either had some of the most incompetent, unprepared, under-equipped boobs imaginable protecting Trump that day, or something far more sinister was happening behind the scenes. Sure, a lot of people don’t want to jump straight into the deep end of the conspiracy pool, but they also don’t want to be treated like idiots when the facts keep getting more absurd.
“Americans are still waiting for real answers about how it happened and why we still know so little about the man who nearly assassinated the president.”
On Monday, two years after the assassination attempt, Trump told “Fox & Friends”:
“Being president is a very dangerous profession. It’s 5.2% of the presidents, basically, are killed, 8.5% are shot at or shot.”
“There’s no other industry that I can think of” that’s as dangerous, he added.
When he was grazed in the ear, Trump recalled: “I said, ‘Wow, what was that? It’s either the biggest, most violent mosquito in history, or I just got shot.’ ”
“I got lucky. God was watching,” the president declared. “My son Don and Eric, both of them, they know a lot about guns. They hunt. They like to hunt, and they said from that distance, with that gun, that particular gun, there’s almost no chance of missing.”
The July 13, 2024 Butler rally is also remembered for something else: the moment Trump stood back up and fought.
Fight. Fight. Fight. 🇺🇸
Two years ago today, in Butler, PA, an assassin opened fire on President Donald J. Trump.
By the grace of God, his life was spared. As he rose to his feet – blood on his face, fist raised high – that moment became an enduring symbol of resilience,… pic.twitter.com/D48KfMvH5H
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 13, 2026
