WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – For the first time since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the Acting Director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe, held a press conference to answer questions about what went wrong.
He said the agency’s failure came down to two main issues: communication and sightlines.
Rowe said the Secret Service counter snipers relied on text messages and agents did not have a good view of the roof where the shooter was.
“That roof line should have been covered. We should have had better eyes on that,” Rowe said.
Pictures and videos have emerged of Thomas Matthew Crooks on the roof of a nearby building minutes before he fired at former President Donald Trump.
Rowe said the Secret Service is going to make changes.
“We thought we might have had it covered with the human eye but clearly we are going to change our approach now,” Rowe said.
He also says the Secret Service did not fly a drone over the site, adding that a local agency offered to fly one, but the Secret Service didn’t take them up on it.
“The Secret Service takes full responsibility for the tragic events of July 13th,” Rowe said.
In a new timeline, the agency said at 5:45 p.m. a local member of the sniper team sent a photo to the Secret Service.
At 5:53 p.m. agents knew local law enforcement was looking for a suspicious person.
Former President Trump began speaking at 6 p.m. At that time, agents didn’t know there was a man on the roof with a gun. At 6:11 p.m. the first three shots were fired.
Rowe said Secret Service counter snipers relied on text messages to communicate with local law enforcement.
“There was clearly radio transmissions that may have happened on that local radio net that we did not have,” Rowe said.
Rowe added that local law enforcement should not be blamed for the Secret Service’s failure.
