I am still trying to fathom how a 20-year-old college student outsmarted the Secret Service, almost killing a former President of the United States. The more I have come to learn about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the firmer my belief is that the Secret Service really needs serious reforming. I mean, how does a young adult with no prior experience or training evade security and get a direct line of sight on the former President? Mind-blowing.
I really do believe that acting director of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, nailed it right when he referred to the incident as a "failure of imagination." Quite obviously, the agency underestimated the threat and didn't have enough precautions in place to stop such an attack. I'm not buying the excuse that it was a "communication breakdown" between local and state law enforcement and the Secret Service.
That's just a cop-out.
How can we trust them to protect our leaders if the Secret Service can't even get its own act together?
I am further unimpressed with how the FBI has conducted its investigation so far. They have done more than 460 interviews and seized electronic media, yet they could not find a trace of motive or co-conspirators. If you ask me, that really sounds like clutching at straws. I feel it's high time the FBI takes a step back and reappraises what they have been doing. Maybe the FBI has looked at this from another view. I don't know, but it just seems like more than a red flag that his social media account was found to contain over 700 posts on antisemitic and anti-immigration viewpoints.
I'm glad that lawmakers are really fighting for answers and accountability. While admirable in intent, the bipartisan task force investigating this assassination attempt at best is only addressing the tip of the iceberg. A total overhaul of the Secret Service and all of its protocols is what we need. We can't just sit back and wait for the next attack to happen.
I hold no confidence that current leadership is doing what needs to be done. Maybe it is time for some fresh blood and new ideas.