A whistleblower has dropped some pretty damning allegations against the Secret Service, and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) isn’t letting it slide. According to this insider, the Secret Service Office of Protective Operations—Manpower played a little game of “let’s pretend we don’t need more security” for a rally where former President Donald Trump was targeted in an assassination attempt. Hawley wasted no time in calling out Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe, accusing him of providing some less-than-truthful testimony when he appeared before the Senate in July.
During that testimony, Rowe assured the Senate that “all assets requested were approved” for the Butler, Pennsylvania rally on July 13. But now, thanks to the whistleblower, we’re learning that agents were actually discouraged from requesting additional manpower through what Hawley describes as “informal means.” So, in essence, Rowe’s testimony doesn’t quite line up with what really went down, and Hawley is demanding answers.
The rally in question turned out to be one of the biggest security blunders by the Secret Service in recent memory. A 20-year-old shooter managed to get onto a nearby rooftop, take aim at the crowd, and fire shots, resulting in one death, two serious injuries, and Trump himself sustaining a minor injury. All this happened while the agents supposedly responsible for Trump’s safety made a “routine” manpower request that conveniently left out the need for countersniper teams or Counter Surveillance Division personnel. And why? Because, as the whistleblower claims, they were essentially told not to bother asking.
Hawley’s letter to Rowe lays it out bluntly: the half-hearted response of placing a few field agents on administrative leave just isn’t cutting it. He argues that the real failures likely go all the way to the top of the agency, and just scapegoating a few agents isn’t going to address the systemic problems.
With the resignation of former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle already in the books and now these new revelations coming to light, it’s clear that the agency’s handling of this incident is under serious scrutiny. Hawley’s not going to let this one go, and he’s pressing for full accountability—starting with Rowe explaining why his testimony doesn’t match the reality on the ground. The senator’s message is clear: this isn’t just about one rally gone wrong; it’s about the integrity and reliability of the entire agency tasked with protecting the nation’s leaders.
