Tipsheet

Why We Need to Talk About the Secret Service Agent Who Engaged Trump's Second Assassin

On September 15, Ryan Wesley Routh was trying to assassinate now-President-elect Donald J. Trump as he was golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He hid in the bushes for 12 hours, armed with a scoped SKS-style rifle and GoPro. Trump got within 300-500 yards of Mr. Routh, who was in range to take a shot. Blessedly, he didn’t. A Secret Service agent saw a rifle barrel pointing out of the shrubbery and opened fire, engaging Routh, who fled the scene. He was arrested by local police later. Yet, while this was the correct course of action in protecting Mr. Trump, it’s a bit startling, and not in a good way, that this agent, who was reportedly five feet away from Routh, fired six shots and missed him.  

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service have yet to produce any documents on the golf course attempt to Congress, which is investigating the assassination attempts against Trump (via Fox News): 

The House Task Force investigating the assassination attempts on President-elect Trump's life has released its final report on Tuesday, detailing "preexisting conditions and leadership failures" that led to the deadly campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July.

While the bipartisan panel was given ample information on that shooting, the report suggested requests for documents on the second attempt on Trump's life – this one at his Palm Beach golf course in September – were seemingly stonewalled. 

"The Task Force notes that as of the date of publication of this report, [the Department of Homeland Security], [U.S. Secret Service], FBI, and [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] have not produced any documents responsive to the Task Force’s requests regarding the preparation for, events of, and response to the second assassination attempt that occurred on September 15," the report said. 

Lawmakers found "critical vulnerabilities" in the security of that site. The report said Secret Service agents identified the golf course's outer perimeter as "a favorable position for potential snipers."

This slow-walking is getting ridiculous.