http://www.foxnews.com/us/acting-secret-service-director-hurt-counter-snipers-email-ripping-leadership-after-trump-shooting
By Audrey Conklin
Fox News
July 30, 2024
Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Tuesday asked the Secret Service's new acting director why the "public has lost trust" in the agency's "mission to protect" after a July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"This agency needs to change, and if not now, when? The next assassination in 30 days?" Blackburn read from an email, reportedly sent by a Secret Service counter sniper, during a Senate hearing involving testimony from Acting U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.
Blackburn also read the last portion of the email, obtained by Real Clear Politics reporter Susan Crabtree and reportedly sent within the agency by the counter sniper, stating that the "motto" of the USSS is "CYA," an acronym for "cover your ass."
The Tennessee senator continued: "The public has lost trust in the ability to execute the mission to protect, and I want to know how you feel about the fact that employees in your agency are worried about covering their behind and not worried about protecting a former president."
The counter sniper who wrote the email apparently sent it to the entire Uniform Division as more information about the assassination attempt became public, according to Crabtree.
For example, Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday released text messages from Butler County, Pennsylvania, showing that snipers spotted shooter Thomas Crooks approximately 90 minutes prior to the moment he fired multiple rounds toward the former president, ultimately killing 50-year-old Corey Comperatore and injuring 74-year-old James Copenhaver and 57-year-old David Dutch.
Rowe, who took on the position of director after Kimberly Cheatle resigned last week, told Blackburn that he was "hurt" by the email.
"I'm hurt because my people are hurting right now," Rowe told Blackburn. "We need them." ...
Well, it's way past time for you to suck it up, buttercup ... "your people" are not hurting because Congress is holding you to account for obvious failures ... no ... they're hurting because their leaders in the Secret Service are a bunch of incompetent boobs who are making them look bad. Your very own people are calling you out on the carpet, you ding dong. Grow a pair, admit your failures, and take proactive steps to make appropriate corrections. In any event, quit your whining and crying.
Rowe was also grilled by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who asked how it was possible that Trump was allowed on stage 17 minutes after reports of a suspicious person.
"No information regarding a weapon on the roof was ever passed to our personnel," Rowe said.
"How is that even possible?" Lee asked.
That information was "in local law enforcement channels but did not cross over and make it to Secret Service awareness," Rowe responded. "I think that they were in the midst of dealing with a very critical situation, and they articulated that over the radio, as I understand it. However, it was never relayed over to us." ...
This is complete and utter horsesh!t. Even if this was true ... which is extremely doubtful ... the Secret Service is in charge of the entire protective service operation. You said yourself, if there are not enough Secret Service agents (or because you arbitrarily decide to short Trump's protection in favor of babysitting "Dr." Jill or Hunter), you utilize local law enforcement tactical teams and officers to augment the detail. BUT, you moron, that means the responsibility for directing, monitoring, and coordinating with these other law enforcement officers is YOURS, dumbf*ck! THIS. IS. ALL. ON. YOU. Be a man and own it.
The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. ~ D.H. Lawrence
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