Secret Service agents placed on leave over assassination attempt of Trump

Several U.S. Secret Service agents have been placed on leave in connection with the July 13 assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to multiple U.S. media outlets. The agents involved reportedly include members of the Pittsburgh field office, which was responsible for security at Trump’s campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The Secret Service has not disclosed specific details, describing the issue as a “personnel matter.” However, the agency released a statement reaffirming its commitment to investigating the decisions and actions of personnel related to the incident.

“The U.S. Secret Service’s mission assurance review is progressing, and we are examining the processes, procedures and factors that led to this operational failure,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. He emphasized that the agency holds its personnel to the highest professional standards and that any violations of policy will be subject to review by the Office of Professional Responsibility.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned last month, acknowledging the agency’s failure to prevent the assassination attempt. The incident, which took place at a rally in Butler, involved a 20-year-old gunman who wounded Trump in the ear and seriously injured two rally attendees. A 50-year-old Pennsylvania firefighter was killed before a Secret Service sniper neutralized the gunman.

Acting Secret Service Chief Ronald Rowe appeared before a joint Senate committee last month, where he pledged to hold any agents who violated policy accountable. “Any identified and substantiated violations of policy will be investigated,” Rowe said.

Trump, 78, has resumed his campaign activities, addressing supporters from behind a pane of bulletproof glass during an outdoor rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, earlier this week. The rally marked his first public appearance since the Butler shooting.