D.C. Hearing re: Trump Assassination Attempt - 7/31/2024

On July 13th, myths and perceptions of the US Secret Service were destroyed.

I heard excerpts from the hearing yesterday, during which USSS Acting Director Ronald Rowe was grilled by U.S. Senators. This morning, just a couple of thoughts...

The way security for the rally was managed showed the superiority complex and incredible arrogance of the Secret Service. They didn't attend the 9:00 a.m. briefing with local law enforcement. They turned down local law enforcement's offer to operate a drone to assist with security. They didn't share their radio frequency with the locals, nor did they monitor the local police department's channel. They treated the locals like Barney Fife, perhaps beloved, but not to be taken seriously. If the Secret Service is so awesome, maybe they would have taken a little more ownership of the situation. You know, because it's their jobs and all.

Acting Director Rowe at one point talked about a "lack of imagination." I've seen a lot of bitching online about it being such a poor explanation. I think it's a perfect explanation, and it lays bare what is a huge issue in the 20/20 hindsight view of this USSS failure. The "lack of imagination" betrays their overwhelming and shocking complacency in providing security for Trump rallies. Yes, "rallies". I'd bet the security was awful at a lot of rallies leading up to the July 13th one in PA. Trump has done a lot of these things, and the Secret Service had gotten quite used to nothing bad happening. Complacency in the security business, just as it does in my business, aviation safety, kills.

Rowe and his predecessor are and were longtime associates, due to their USSS jobs, of the Bidens. While I know that they try to be impartial, they themselves actually believing, I'm sure, that they are and were, I can't help but think in the denials of additional security had a passive aggressive side to them. And I'm not for a minute discounting or ignoring that both Rowe and Cheatle are career swamp dwellers. We know the swamp hates Trump. The rallies require security manpower, resources, and cost a pretty penny. If Cheatle and Rowe hate Trump near as much as the rest of the swamp's amphibians do, it is no surprise to have learned extra security requests were denied.

I read that Trump is scheduled to sit down with the FBI to discuss the attempted assassination. I do not trust the FBI to look into the event. I do not trust the FBI to interview Trump, either. For over eight years the DOJ and FBI has shown extreme animus and bias against Trump. They have earned every bit of the distrust. I'm not even sure I'd talk to them if I was Trump, and if I did, I would certainly make sure I did so with a roomful of lawyers to sanitize my every answer and to be alert to every FBI attempt to entrap me. They have a track record of protecting the swamp and trying to ensnare Trump.

One closing thought. It is no surprise, not in the least, that nobody has been fired. This is, above all, what is wrong in the swamp. Jobs are permanent. Accountability and consequences are way too far removed from failure, small or large. Former Director Cheatle only went out because the outcry over her lying about the sloped roof, among other things, made the noise from outside the swamp unbearable and staying on inside it an untenable proposition.

The USSS and FBI have a lot of work to do to regain my trust and confidence. I'm not optimistic.