Six Secret Service agents have been suspended without pay following the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

 

 

 

 

Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said the agents received penalties ranging from 10 to 42 days of unpaid leave and were reassigned to roles with less responsibility after returning to work. The disciplinary actions followed a federally mandated process.

 

 

 

“We’re not going to fire our way out of this,” Quinn told CBS News, adding that the agency is “laser focused on fixing the root cause of the problem.”

 

 

 

The agency faced sharp criticism after gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire at the Butler rally on July 13, 2024. Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet, two other men were wounded, and Corey Comperatore, a firefighter and father attending the event, was killed. Crooks was fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper.

 

 

 

“Secret Service is totally accountable for Butler,” Quinn said. “It was an operational failure and we’re focused today on ensuring it never happens again.”

 

 

 

Since the attack, the agency has added military-grade drones and mobile command posts to strengthen communication with local law enforcement.

 

 

 

The Secret Service faced renewed scrutiny weeks later when a second attempt on Trump’s life took place in West Palm Beach, Florida. That incident, though stopped, led to the resignation of then-Director Kimberly Cheatle and multiple investigations.

 

 

 

 

A bipartisan House task force later released a 180-page report calling the Butler incident “preventable,” citing long-standing leadership and training issues. The report also criticized the agency’s poor coordination with local police.