‘Complete breakdown at every level’: Senate Homeland Security Committee releases report

On the one-year anniversary of one of the most brazen attempts on the life of Donald Trump, the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Sunday released its final report on the attempted assassination during campaign rally in Butler, Penn. The report sharply criticized the United States Secret Service for what it described as “a complete breakdown of security at every level.”

The report, issued by Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, outlines a series of intelligence and procedural failures that nearly cost Trump his life on July 13, 2024, when a gunman opened fire from a rooftop overlooking the rally, injuring four people, including Trump, and killing firefighter Corey Comperatore.

According to the report, Secret Service agents received a report of a suspicious individual with a rangefinder on the rooftop of the American Glass Research building 25 minutes before shots were fired. Despite this, no action was taken to clear or secure the location. The report found that key intelligence was not shared with agents protecting Trump, coordination with local law enforcement was deficient, and critical assets, including counter-sniper teams, were missing from the scene.

Following the attack, the Committee, along with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, launched a yearlong bipartisan investigation. Over 17 transcribed interviews were conducted, and more than 75,000 pages of documents were reviewed. A preliminary report was released in September 2024; the final report incorporates new evidence and details systemic failures.

Among the Committee’s findings:

• Secret Service denied multiple requests for additional personnel and resources to protect Trump during the campaign.
• No personnel have been terminated as a result of the failures in Butler. Six were formally disciplined, some as late as July 2025. In at least two cases, the disciplinary decisions were reduced from the original recommendations.
• Then-Director Kimberly Cheatle falsely testified to Congress that all asset requests had been approved for the rally.
• Despite prior intelligence, counter-sniper teams were absent at a July 9, 2024, rally in Doral, Florida, contrary to authorized protocol.
• Advance agents operated under vague directives, leading to poor site control and miscommunication.
• A failure to transmit crucial intelligence regarding the rooftop threat to Trump’s protective detail meant no action was taken to delay his appearance.
• Coordination with local law enforcement was described as insufficient from planning through execution of the event.

Sen. Paul criticized the lack of accountability, noting that only through subpoenas did the Committee gain visibility into internal disciplinary actions. The report warns that the structural issues uncovered, ranging from poor communication to lapses in leadership, must be corrected to prevent future threats against high-profile public figures.

As part of the report’s release, the Committee published subpoenaed documents, disciplinary records, and transcribed interviews in an effort to promote transparency. The addendum also includes a summary of procedural changes implemented by the Secret Service in the wake of the Butler attack. Here are the documents released today:

FINAL REPORT: [HERE]

COMMITTEE STAFF SUMMARY OF USSS POLICY CHANGES: [HERE]

USSS RECORDS: 

1. USSS DISCIPLINARY CHART: [HERE]
2. USSS SUMMARY OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS : [HERE]
3. PITTSBURGH FIELD OFFICE SAIC DISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTS: [HERE]
4. PITTSBURGH FIELD OFFICE ATSAIC DISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTS: [HERE]
5. COUNTER-SNIPER TEAM LEAD DISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTS: [HERE]
6. LEAD ADVANCE AGENT DISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTS: [HERE]
7. SITE COUNTERPART DISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTS: [HERE]
8. SITE AGENT DISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTS: [HERE]

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS: These transcribed interviews were conducted during the 118^th Congress. References to offices reflect the leadership structure of the Committee in the 118^th Congress, and not the current leadership structure of the Committee. In these documents, references to “HSGAC Minority” refer to now Chairman Paul’s staff. References to HSGAC majority refer to now Ranking Member Peters’ staff. References to PSI Minority refer to now Chairman Johnson’s staff. References to PSI Majority refer to now Ranking Member Blumenthal’s staff. 

1. DTD 2^ND SUPERVISOR: [HERE]
2. PI RESPONSE AGENT: [HERE]
3. HERCULES 1 CS: [HERE]
4. CS RESPONSE AGENT:[HERE]
5. USSS SECURITY ROOM AGENT: [HERE]