Whistleblowers within the Department of Homeland Security have claimed that the majority of former President Donald Trump’s security detail “weren’t even Secret Service,” according to a Republican lawmaker.
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri echoed those claims in a public letter Friday to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, describing a series of security failures at Trump’s fateful rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Whistleblowers with direct knowledge of the event have contacted my office. The allegations are that the July 13 rally was considered a “lax” security event, Hawley wrote in the letter. “For example, detection dogs were not used to monitor the entrance and detect threats in the usual manner. Individuals without proper designation were allowed access backstage.”
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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., (left) and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (right). (Getty Images)
Other breaches of security protocol were reportedly noted, including a lack of personnel stationed around the security perimeter and an insufficiently enforced buffer zone around the podium.
One of the most disturbing allegations is that the majority of the personnel protecting the former president were not agents of the United States Secret Service (USSS).
“The whistleblowers’ allegations suggest that the majority of DHS officials were not in fact USSS agents but rather agents of the department’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI),” Hawley wrote. “This is particularly concerning given that the HSI agents were not familiar with the standard protocols typically used during these types of events, according to the allegations.”
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The Missouri senator criticized DHS for failing to provide information about the incident to Congress and for “abruptly ending the only call with the USSSS before most senators could even ask a question.”
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.previously detailed the Secret Service briefing given to senators Wednesday on the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump, saying there was “virtually no information” provided.
“The director of the Secret Service admitted there were mistakes and blunders,” Johnson said, referring to Kimberly Cheatle. But the briefing, which was given by another official, “was largely irrelevant,” Johnson said. Only four senators were allowed to ask questions and there was no follow-up, he said.
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Former President Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, is surrounded by security officers after being shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Hawley’s letter demands answers to a series of questions relevant to the whistleblowers’ allegations, including the ratio of USSS to HSI agents and pre-gathering security screenings.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
