Secret Service failures expose glaring problem within agency

Published May 14, 2026 7:00am ET



The near-assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, opened America’s eyes to major problems with the United States Secret Service. The nation — indeed, the world — watched in shock as bullets flew from an unguarded rooftop, killing former Army reservist and volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, mortally wounding two other onlookers, and miraculously only barely nicking the ear of the then-former commander in chief.

The 20-year-old assassin had been observed acting suspiciously and using a rangefinder at least 25 minutes before he aimed and fired multiple shots. But the Secret Service did nothing.

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