Secret Service failed in its one job – to protect Donald Trump

The US Secret Service has one job – to protect current and former US presidents – and they failed spectacularly when the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was carried out on Saturday.

It has been 43 years since the last assassination attempt on a former or current US president, when Ronald Reagan was shot in the lungs but survived.

Today, American politicians and the public want to know how the would-be assassin managed to sneak onto the rooftop observation deck, armed with a rifle, and fire four shots at the podium – all in an area that was supposed to be cleared.

Why were public warnings apparently ignored or not acted upon?

And why, with a highly charged presidential election just four months away, hasn’t the Secret Service done a better job of protecting the man many believe will be America’s next president?

The investigation, which is already underway, involves the FBI, as well as the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security.

The Director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, has been called to testify before a committee of the US House of Representatives on July 22.

Those attending the rally itself were asked to go through metal detectors to make sure they weren’t carrying weapons, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

But the gunman believed to have fired the shots could clearly be seen crawling with a rifle on top of a nearby building for several minutes, an eyewitness told the BBC.

The witness, who gave his name as Greg, said police did not respond to warnings he and others gave, saying they did not know “what was going on” and had poor visibility of the roof.

The suspected gunman — named by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks — also appears to have been caught on camera setting up his video, in footage obtained by TMZ.

One spectator was killed and two others were seriously injured before the attacker himself was killed. Trump also injured his ear. State police said it was “too early” to determine exactly what happened.

Trump’s life may have been saved by the fact that he ducked after the first shots, said David Dunn, a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham.

In that sense, he was “obviously well trained by the Secret Service”, Professor Dunn told BBC Radio 5 Live. Before agents took him away in a car, Trump stood up again to pump his fist in front of the crowd.

Gregg said he wonders why agents weren’t deployed on all the nearby rooftops and didn’t intervene to get Trump off the stage after he raised the alarm.

Former Secret Service agent Charles Marino agreed that there are questions that need to be answered. He told the BBC that among the agents’ tasks would be to survey the environment and note “areas of concern”.

Experts who spoke to NBC said events such as political rallies have always presented challenges in securing a large area of ​​land. One of them, former Secret Service agent Evy Poumpouras, said there will always be lingering questions: “How do we secure that outer perimeter? How far are you going? And can you cover everything? That’s the problem.”

A BBC Verify analysis suggests that Crooks managed to get within just over 130 meters (430 feet) of Trump’s position behind the lectern.

It was announced late Saturday that the FBI had assumed the role of lead investigator in the incident, which it described as an assassination attempt.

One of her special agents told a news conference that it was “surprising” that the gunman was able to open fire before the Secret Service killed him.

But when asked if there had been a security lapse, he said his team “will not make that assessment” while the investigation continues.

The Secret Service was not represented at the briefing. An earlier statement confirming the launch of the investigation promised that more information would be released as it became available.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security said keeping presidential candidates safe is one of the department’s “most vital priorities.”

It’s unclear what the attack will mean for the former president’s future security arrangements, though a Trump campaign adviser said it’s clear he needs more protection.

A Secret Service spokesman denied a “false allegation” that Trump’s team had asked for additional resources, but declined the request.

In any case, Trump is now likely to receive a security detail comparable to that of the current president, former Secret Service agent Joseph LaSorsa told the Reuters news agency.

“There’s going to be an intense review … there’s going to be a massive realignment,” he said “This can’t happen.”

The Republican National Convention will continue as planned on Monday, with Trump speaking on Thursday, the party confirmed in a statement.

During the event, Trump will be formally nominated as the Republican candidate for president ahead of the November election.