Six secret service agents suspended over Trump assassination attempt lapses

The disciplinary actions, announced Thursday, come just days ahead of the first anniversary of the July 13, 2024, shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to the agency, the suspensions range from 10 to 42 days without pay.
The U.S. Secret Service has suspended six agents over security failures that allowed a gunman to open fire on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally last summer.
The disciplinary actions, announced Thursday, come just days ahead of the first anniversary of the July 13, 2024, shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to the agency, the suspensions range from 10 to 42 days without pay.
The names of the affected agents were withheld due to privacy rules, and the agency did not specify when the suspensions would take effect.
All six agents had been on restricted duty since the shooting as the agency carried out an internal review. A junior agent assigned to Trump’s personal detail received the longest suspension, a person familiar with the matter confirmed. That agent is reportedly the only member of the former president’s close protection team to face disciplinary action.
The assassination attempt shocked the nation, marking the first time since 1981 that a sitting or former U.S. president was wounded in an attack. Trump sustained a minor injury when a bullet grazed his ear.
Tragically, a rallygoer, Corey Comperatore a volunteer firefighter, was killed, and two others were injured. The 20-year-old gunman was shot dead by Secret Service agents.
In the aftermath, then-director Kimberly Cheatle resigned amid growing pressure from lawmakers, who demanded accountability for security failures.
A second attempt on Trump’s life occurred just two months later, in September 2024, when a suspect was spotted hiding near a Florida golf course where Trump was playing. Agents opened fire, but no injuries were reported.
Reflecting on the Butler incident in a Thursday statement, current Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran who was the lead agent on Trump’s personal detail at the time and among those who rushed to protect him said the agency has taken extensive steps to strengthen its operations.
“I’ve carried the memory of July 13 with me every day,” said Curran, who was appointed to lead the agency in January after Trump promoted him. “We have enacted a wide range of changes to ensure an event like that never happens again.”
Investigations by both Congress and internal panels revealed critical breakdowns in communication among Secret Service personnel and between federal agents and local law enforcement tasked with securing the rally venue.
In its statement, the Secret Service said it has implemented “significant operational, policy, and organizational reforms” following recommendations from both internal and external reviews.
The punishments issued Thursday are reportedly lighter than initially proposed. Larry Berger, an attorney representing several of the suspended agents, said they had successfully avoided harsher disciplinary measures.
“We managed to steer away from more severe penalties,” Berger said. “Now we’re considering possible appeals.”
The suspended agents have the right to contest the sanctions.