SWAT team members assigned to protect former President Donald Trump at his July 13 rally revealed they had no contact with the Secret Service before an assassination attempt on Trump.
The shooting occurred on July 13 when a would-be assassin opened fire at Trump while he was addressing supporters.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ senior investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky, the officers described how poor communication and planning failures caused a critical delay in identifying and neutralizing the threat.
“They told us they had no communication with the Secret Service until after the gunfire started. This SWAT team saw the shooter. They recognized him as suspicious, even took pictures of him,” Katersky reported.
“None of the concerns, though, had a chance of reaching decision-makers before Trump took the stage because of what these men and women described as failures of planning and communication,” he added.
Jason Woods, the lead sharpshooter of the SWAT team in Beaver County, expressed his frustration.
“We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service snipers whenever they arrived, and that never happened,” Woods said.
“So I think that that was probably a pivotal point where I started thinking things were wrong because that never happened and we had no communication with the Secret Service,” he added.
Aaron Katersky: You had no communication with the Secret Service at all on that Saturday?
Jason Woods: Not until after the shooting.
Aaron Katersky: And by then?
Jason Woods: It was too late.
The aftermath of this catastrophic failure resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, a rally attendee, and left two others critically injured.
House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced his concerns on X about this significant security lapse, stating, “Another alarming security failure. A local SWAT officer in PA told ABC his team had no contact with the Secret Service at the rally until after the assassination attempt on President Trump. Our House Task Force will find the answers the American people deserve.”
In response to mounting pressure following her testimony before Congress, Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle resigned a week after the incident. Her evasive responses during hearings sparked outrage among lawmakers and citizens alike.
WATCH:
Another alarming security failure.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 28, 2024
A local SWAT officer in PA told ABC his team had no contact with Secret Service at the rally until after the assassination attempt on President Trump.
Our House Task Force will find the answers the American people deserve. pic.twitter.com/RojvR4YfDb
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