Editor's note: On July 20, the Secret Service acknowledged it had denied some requests by former President Donald Trump's campaign for increased security at his events. This admission is a reversal from statements the agency released immediately following the attempted assassination on Trump.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified before Congress on Monday, July 22, in a hearing about the agency’s role in protecting the former president. In an exchange with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Cheatle said the Secret Service didn’t deny any requests for Trump’s rally on July 13 where he was shot at. But she admitted that the agency has rejected previous requests from Trump’s campaign for additional security. The story continues as originally published on July 17.
Federal investigators are still trying to piece together how 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the suspect in an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, eluded Secret Service agents and local police.
After the attempt on Trump’s life at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13, members of Congress and other people online claimed the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security denied requests for extra security ahead of the rally.
“I have very reliable sources telling me there have been repeated requests for stronger secret service protection for President Trump. Denied by [Homeland Security] Secretary Mayorkas,” U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) said in a post on X that has more than 500,000 views.
U.S. Rep. Mark E. Green, M.D., (R-Tenn.), who serves as chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, also mentioned the claims in a letter he sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in the aftermath of the assassination attempt.
Multiple VERIFY readers asked us to look into whether federal agencies denied requests for extra security ahead of the rally.
THE QUESTION
Is there evidence that Homeland Security and the Secret Service denied requests for extra security ahead of the Trump rally?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, there’s no evidence that Homeland Security and the Secret Service denied requests for extra security ahead of the Trump rally. The agencies denied the claims and said they actually increased security protections for the former president.
WHAT WE FOUND
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the Secret Service denied claims that the agencies rejected requests for extra security ahead of Trump’s Pennsylvania rally. The agencies actually increased security protections for Trump ahead of the rally, officials said.
Mayorkas addressed the rumors during an interview with ABC News on July 15.
“That is an unequivocally false assertion,” he said in response to a question about whether Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, denied requests for added protection.
“We had enhanced security for the former president beginning at least in June. We have not received any requests for additional security measures that were rebuffed,” Mayorkas added.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service also asserted that the agency increased security for the former president.
“There’s an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed. This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo,” Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, wrote in an X post on Jul 14.
The FBI did not deny any additional requests for security, either, Kevin Rojek, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, said during a press conference on July 13.
Two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Associated Press that a threat from Iran prompted the Secret Service to boost protection around Trump before the assassination attempt, though the threat appears to be unrelated to the rally attack.
Upon learning of the threat, the Biden administration reached out to senior officials at the Secret Service to make them aware, the officials said, adding it was shared with the lead agent on Trump’s protection detail and the Trump campaign. That prompted the agency to surge resources and assets, the AP reported.
Former U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Mark Lowery told VERIFY Trump would likely receive “the full package” when it comes to security and protection since he is the Republican presidential nominee.
VERIFY reached out to Waltz’s office to elaborate on the details of his claim but did not receive a response by the time of publishing. A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign also did not respond to a request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story is also available in Spanish / Lee este artículo también en español: No hay evidencia de que solicitudes de seguridad adicional fueron negadas antes del evento de Trump
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