America loves second chances. We all make mistakes at work sometimes. Maybe you missed a deadline or forgot to answer an important email. Your boss might have given you a stern talking-to or put a note in your file.
But what happens when government workers mess up? What if their mistake led to someone dying and the President of the United States getting shot? Surely that would mean serious consequences, right? Well, you might be surprised by what counts as “accountability” in Washington.
Six Secret Service agents who were on duty during last year’s assassination attempt on President Trump have been suspended without pay. That’s right – suspended, not fired. These suspensions range from just 10 to 42 days, according to Matt Quinn, the agency’s deputy director.
From ‘Fox News’:
Six Secret Service agents were suspended without pay following a gunman’s attempt to take President Donald Trump’s life at a Pennsylvania rally last July, the agency confirmed to Fox News.
The suspensions affected supervisors and line-level agents, and ranged from 10 to 42 days without pay.
The disciplinary action took place in February, the Secret Service said, which confirmed the news because a Senate report on the failures in Butler, Pennsylvania, is set to be released any day.
No agents were fired, as the Secret Service told Fox News that the entire agency failed, rather than individuals.
The agents who failed to prevent the attack have already returned to work, though Quinn said they were placed in “restricted roles with less responsibility.” He explained the disciplinary actions followed a “federally mandated process.”
Let’s remember what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. A gunman named Thomas Crooks opened fire at a Trump rally. Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, father and husband was killed. President Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet. Two other men were injured.
A “Preventable” Tragedy
A bipartisan House task force investigated and released a 180-page report in December. They found the shooting was “preventable” and pointed to “preexisting” leadership and training issues that “created an environment” where security failures were possible.
Despite this finding, Quinn told CBS News, “We aren’t going to fire our way out of this.” Instead, he said the agency is focusing on the “root cause” of the failure.
This response has some lawmakers questioning whether the punishment fits the failure. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who serves on the House Oversight Committee, called the suspensions “the absolute bare minimum.”
Think about your own job. If you made a mistake that cost someone their life, would your boss just send you home for a few weeks and then welcome you back? In most jobs, that kind of failure would mean immediate termination and possibly legal consequences.
Improvements Without Accountability?
Since the Butler rally, the Secret Service has made changes. Quinn said they’ve added a new fleet of military-grade drones and mobile command posts to improve radio communications with local law enforcement.
These improvements came after then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following mounting criticism after the shooting. She had described it as the “most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.”
But is improving equipment enough when the people who failed remain in their positions? The Secret Service’s job is protecting the President of the United States. When they fail at that job, a suspension seems like a slap on the wrist.
The Secret Service faced additional criticism weeks after Butler when a second assassination attempt on Trump occurred in West Palm Beach, Florida. Though that attempt was stopped, it raised more questions about the agency’s ability to protect the president.
When protecting the leader of the free world, there’s no room for excuses. A few weeks of unpaid leave doesn’t seem to match the severity of what happened in Butler. If the Secret Service truly wants to ensure it “never happens again,” perhaps stronger accountability would be a good place to start.
Key Takeaways
- Six Secret Service agents received only temporary suspensions (10-42 days) after the assassination attempt on President Trump.
- A bipartisan House report determined the Butler, PA shooting was “preventable” and resulted from leadership failures.
- The Secret Service admits the incident was “an operational failure” but says they “aren’t going to fire their way out of this.”
- Government accountability standards appear significantly lower than what would be expected in private sector jobs.
