by Savannah Ramirez Staff Writer
On Monday, Sept. 15, former President Donald Trump was on one of his golf courses in West Palm Beach, Fla. between the fifth and sixth hole. An agent of the Secret Service team, tasked with defending and protecting the former president, noticed a barrel peeking through the chain-link fence surrounding the golf course near the fifth hole. The agent fired off a few rounds but did not injure the suspect. The suspect then ran and got into his vehicle, where he was captured in another county.
This is the second attempt in the last few months. While Trump sustained no injury the second time around, the pressure placed on the Secret Service has increased dramatically.
On July 13, shots were fired at a Trump Rally in Butler, Pa. A bullet grazed Trump’s right ear, killed an audience member, and injured two others. On that day, the suspect, 20-year-old Matthew Crooks, was able to bypass local police force, mandatory TSA-level screening, and Secret Service. Now, the Secret Service has accepted and denounced their failures in this matter as well as electing a new director for the agency. Following this, the Secret Service has asked for an increase to their annual budget of $3 billion so they could incorporate more equipment and better training.
Senior communications major, Ella Britz, expressed her concern with the lack of changes that haven’t been made in the way Secret Services protects the former president. “I think updates are definitely necessary to make sure as America changes and politics change; there’s [better] protection,” she said.
Similar to other presidents, there have been a few security breaches in the recent years but none of them ever came close to fruition. In October 2018, a Ricin laced letter was sent to Trump but was quickly intercepted by the mailing facility; the same thing happened in September 2020. It’s natural for a president to receive opposition and resistance as we all have a right to our own opinion and thoughts. However, attempts on a president’s life, whether they are former or current, is not one of society’s rights.
It’s the responsibility and expectation for the Secret Service to provide full protection over the president’s (former or current) life with no room for error. Room for error means room for injury or death, which has happened due to the failed security procedures on July 13.
Britz gave her initial reaction to hearing about the second assassination attempt on Trump. “As much as I don’t support him, it is definitely disheartening to see as an American. That type of violence is always disheartening no matter the person,” she expressed.
In the first assassination attempt, there were many clear signs that the suspect was a person of interest prior to shots being fired. A combination of testimonials from audience members and local police officers stated that Cooks appeared “nervous” and “suspicious” before the rally had started. During the rally, local police force spotted Cooks on top of the building as well as audience members yelling to the Secret Service that there was a man on the roof, which was captured in audio.
Secret Service strategies and practices have been relatively the same since 2015. Like an iPhone, there are smaller updates that come around every few months, but a big update comes around every 1-2 years. This helps to keep things running smoothly and up-to-date with our ever-changing society. The Secret Service is supposed to put their own life on the line to save someone else’s, it’s a part of the job description. However, the recent attempts on Trump’s life have proven that the agency needs to make procedural changes and changes to the way they secure a perimeter.
The Washington Post reported that the Senate is calling on the Secret Service to update their practices and strategies, apologizing and changing directors is not sufficient.
Senior journalism major, Heaven Mena, expressed her thoughts on how the Secret Service can improve. “I would say their reaction time should be quicker, and they should be on top of their surveillance,” she said.
There is a certain standard and level of responsibility that you are expected to exceed when one is a part of the Secret Service. Many people, including our current president, Joe Biden, have called on the agency to make some big changes to the way they operate before something irreversible happens. America has no place for violence against current or former leaders no matter their political position or personal preferences.
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