If one goes by the recent attempt in Butler, Pa., against Donald Trump, it is to blame the Secret Service agents, especially the women agents who they say are too small and are only there because of DEI, local enforcement people and the fact that they allowed the shooter to get too close to the stage where Trump would be speaking. Law enforcement people said the shooter was within 157 yards from the stage, that is a football field and a half. It should be noted that women Secret Service agents have been on the force for over 50 years and have been on many Presidential details including the one when President Reagan was shot by an assassin. Let us examine what took place in past assassination attempts.
President Kennedy was killed by an assassin in 1963 from the 6th floor window of a building where the motorcade passed right in front of. There were numerous windows in that building and none were secured and in fact Dallas police officers walked the street right under that building with the windows in full view. The shooter was approximately a half block away. Texas Governor John Connerly was in the President's car and was badly wounded. President Kennedy refused to have the bubble top put on the car that tragic day because he believed an assassin could strike the President if he so wanted because the President is exposed in so many different ways.
Alabama Governor George Wallace was struck by an assassin in 1972 while campaigning for President and was paralyzed from the waist down and spent the rest of his life in a wheel chair. The shooter was within 5-6 feet from Wallace. In Wallace's protective detail were FBI and Secret Service agents.
President Reagan was struck by an assassin in 1982, 10 years later. The President was seriously wounded, required surgery and came close to losing his life according to the doctors. The President's assistant suffered severe head wounds and one Secret Service agent was killed. The shooter was within 20 feet of the President when he opened fire. President Reagan never blamed his Secret Service agents of failure.
In Butler, Pa., this month Donald Trump was struck by an assassin and suffered a minor wound to his right ear. The shooter was said to be 157 yards from the stage Trump was speaking from. One other person was killed. Secret Service agents, both men and women rushed to protect Trump after the shots were fired pushing him to the ground and protecting him.
If one wants to deal in the hypothetical, one can say that the Secret Service did a better job at protecting Trump than they did protecting President Kennedy who was killed, Gov. Wallace who was badly wounded and President Reagan who was also badly wounded. The shooter also was kept farther away from Trump and Trump's wounds were minor.
Blaming the governmental security people for failure instead of blaming the shooter is running wild on social media and in the regular media. They blame the women Secret Service agents on Trump's detail as being too small to protect the President and that they are only there because of DEI. As of this writing the Secret Service and the FBI have not identified the motive or the why of the shooter and the FBI says they at this time can not confirm that Trump was struck by a bullet or the shrapnel from bullet fragments.
Congress is now investigating the shooting and in due time a report will be issued. Can government officials really give 100% protection for a President? This writer has his doubts and thinks President Kennedy's thoughts have been right. Presidential exposure is a political problem that more thought has to be given too. The other huge problem is the toxic and violet rhetoric of Trump and his republican CULT that can easily light the fuse of someone looking for the right push.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
