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Donald Trump Now Questions Secret Service: 'How Did Somebody Get On The Roof?'
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on July 21, 2024 at 1:45 PM EDT
Former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped a fatal incident over the weekend when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired six to eight rounds, one of which grazed the 78-year-old's right ear.
As the shooter was able to get within 164 yards of the former president, many are questioning the level of security at the rally.
Days after the attempted assassination, former president Donald Trump is addressing why he was allowed to take the stage if bystanders noticed the gunman and informed law enforcement.
Why Was Donald Trump Allowed On Stage Despite Thomas Matthew Crooks Being Confronted By Police?
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In an interview with Fox News, the former president finally addressed the timeline of events, questioning why he was allowed on stage if people spotted Thomas Matthew Crooks before he shot off six to eight rounds.
"Nobody mentioned it, nobody said there was a problem, and I would've waited for 15; they could've said, let's wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 5 minutes, something nobody said anything, that was a mistake."
"How did somebody get on that roof and why wasn't he reported?" Trump then asked. "Because people saw that he was on the roof. You had Trumpers screaming. The woman in the red shirt, she was screaming 'There's a man on the roof' and then other people screaming 'There's a man on the roof who's got a gun,' and that was quite a bit before I walked onto the stage, so you would've thought somebody would have done something about it."
Americans Back Trump's Line Of Questioning
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After hearing Trump's interview, many Americans took to social media to agree with the former president. "I'm so glad he is aware of all this, these questions need answers," one TikToker said. "Way too many issues with the whole thing," another stated.
"Completely unacceptable and we still haven’t gotten answers!" a third expressed.
"ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND THEY LET THIS HAPPEN! GOD BLESS DONALD J TRUMP!" a fourth commented.
A fifth said they "want answers," and a sixth social media user said, "That's right! That's exactly how I seen it as well!"
Donald Trump Thanks The Secret Service After Rally Shooting
![Former US President Donald J Trump makes an early appearance on the first night of the Republican National Convention](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/16093150/donald-trump-bandaged-ear-scaled.jpg?)
This latest line of questioning comes after the former president praised the Secret Service and law enforcement on multiple occasions since the attempted assassination. "Bullets were continuing to fly as very brave Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and pounced on top of me so that I would be protected," Trump said at the 2024 RNC on Thursday.
Plus, shortly after the tragic shooting, he took to Truth Social to acknowledge the Secret Service agents. "I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania," he said at the time. "It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country."
Homeland Security Addresses Shooting
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This also comes days after the Homeland Security Secretary acknowledged that the direct line of sight to former President Donald Trump during the recent shooting incident should have never occurred.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas appeared on "Good Morning America" where she told George Stephanopoulos that "a direct line of sight like that to the former president should not [have] occur[ed]."
"That is precisely why President Biden directed that an independent review of the incident occur. That will be done in close coordination with the FBI, which is conducting a separate criminal investigation, the importance of which cannot be overstated," Mayorkas said on the morning show.
"We have to learn everything about the assailant, who of course, the Secret Service so bravely and heroically neutralized, and we are going to really study the event independently and make recommendations to the Secret Service and to me so that we can assure the safety and security of our protectees, which is one of our most vital missions in the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and across the government," they added.
Bystanders Noticed Thomas Matthew Crooks On The Roof Before Shots Were Fired
![Thomas Matthew Crooks yearbook photo](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/15152852/thomas-matthew-crooks-yearbook.jpeg?)
In addition to Donald Trump, many others are beginning to question how law enforcement and the Secret Service handled the situation, as some attendees reported noticing Crooks on the roof before he began shooting and attempted to warn the police.
"A guy behind me said that he had seen him. He had a gun. And then when he said that, I moved over a couple feet, and I was able to see him perfectly, and I saw he had the gun. That's when I started to film," bystander Mike DiFrischia said.
Stan Kephart, a former police chief who provided security for two former presidents, described the shooting as an "absolute and abysmal failure" by the Secret Service in their duty to protect Trump, per The Associated Press. “You don’t get to blame other people. They are under your control," he added.