A new narrative has emerged in the wake of Donald Trump's shooting: The Secret Service turned down repeated requests for more personnel and resources from Trump's camp over the last two years. After the New York Times and the Washington Post reported on the rejected requests, the agency—after initial denials—acknowledged it was true. Neither story suggests the denials were made because of animus toward the former president. Instead, they were chalked up to the agency being chronically overtaxed and undermanned. The denials were not specifically for the rally in Pennsylvania where the former president was shot.
In the immediate wake of the shooting, Trump himself praised the quick response of agents. But when others accused the Secret Service of having turned down requests for additional security since Trump left office, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi called the accusations "absolutely false." Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle and Homeland Security director Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued similar denials. But after specific questions from the two newspapers, Guglielmi said a review showed that Secret Service headquarters did indeed turn down requests from the Trump team, and the agency was studying the denials to better understand them.
The agency works in a "dynamic threat environment," Guglielmi said in a statement, and it supplemented security with state and local law enforcement agencies when it did not have enough of its own personnel, or otherwise changed security plans. "In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protectee," he said, per CNN. The revelation is likely to amplify calls for Cheatle to leave her post. (More Secret Service stories.)
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