Summary
US security officials are being questioned by lawmakers about security failures that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump earlier this month
Acting director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe Jr tells a Senate hearing that the Butler shooting was a "failure, on multiple levels"
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate says the ongoing investigation is focused on identifying a motive
Trump was speaking at a campaign event in the city of Butler, Pennsylvania on 13 July when a gunman opened fire
One audience member was killed and two others were injured, while Trump was also wounded
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned last week over persistent questions about security measures at the rally
Live Reporting
Edited by Caitlin Wilson and Emily McGarvey, with Bernd Debusmann Jr, Nomia Iqbal and Alex Lederman reporting from Capitol Hill
Thanks for joining uspublished at 19:57 30 July
19:57 30 July
Our live coverage has now ended.
For a broader recap of what we learned from a riveting hearing, here is a report from Capitol Hill.
This page was brought to you by Bernd Debusmann Jr, Nomia Iqbal and Alex Lederman at the Senate, and Sam Cabral, with Caitlin Wilson and Emily McGarvey editing.
How things went down at the hearingpublished at 19:05 30 July
19:05 30 July
That wraps up the latest congressional hearing with security officials since the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at the 13 July rally in Pennsylvania. Here's a recap:
- Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said he "lost sleep" over security failures that took place before the attempted assassination on Trump
- Rowe said the Secret Service has already "identified gaps in our security" that are being addressed
- Highlighting one failure, Rowe said the Secret Service was unable to deploy a drone ahead of the rally because of cellular connectivity issues - had they done so, they would have likely detected a drone flown by the gunman
- Despite Kimberly Cheatle stepping down as director last week, Republicans made clear they want more action. Rowe said agents who committed "policy violations" would be "held accountable" - including by firing them
- Neither Rowe or FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate were able to answer how the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to get a rifle onto the rooftop from where he shot at Trump
- Abbate said his agency is still trying to identify the gunman's motive, adding that investigators have found a social media account they believe may be tied to Crooks with posts that "appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes"
Would Biden have been treated differently?published at 18:43 30 July
18:43 30 July
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol HillThere are Republicans who believe President Biden would have been treated differently to Donald Trump if it had been him on stage.
Senator Ted Cruz - who often assumes the role of Trump loyalist and table thumper in these hearings - pressed Rowe, wanting to know the difference.
He was very blunt and concise in his answer to Cruz.
Ted Cruz: "You are using 'president' in a way that is not clear. What's the difference?"
Rowe: "Actual command authority to launch a nuclear strike!"
FBI investigating 'antisemitic' social media accountspublished at 18:38 30 July
18:38 30 July
Alex Lederman
Reporting from Capitol Hill
Image source, epaOne of the key unanswered questions since the assassination attempt against Donald Trump has been the gunman’s motive.
Despite all the reporters that descended on his home town in the aftermath, we still know very little about why he set up on that rooftop with plans to kill a former president.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate hinted early in the hearing that they’re learning more about details about Thomas Crooks. Critically, he said they’ve discovered a social media account they believed belonged to the 20-year-old gunman. Between 2019 and 2020, the account posted more than 700 comments, though he could not verify yet the account belongs to Crooks.
“Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes, to espouse political violence, and are described as extreme in nature,” he said.
But he also said they’ve found another social media account from 2021 with different perspectives - pro-lockdown and pro-migrant - that might belong to Crooks.
One of the biggest takeaways from this hearing is how much we still don’t know.
Senate hearing wraps uppublished at 18:35 30 July
18:35 30 July
The hearing has finished but we're still bringing you analysis of the answers from FBI and Secret Service officials over security failures at Trump's rally earlier this month.
See AlsoThree Crucial Steps You Have To Just take Before Getting Breckie Hill – Welcome to our Website Roto RwandaThe Dirty Truth on Breckie Hill – PRODUMASKStay with us for more.
Rowe pressed on email raising concerns about Secret Servicepublished at 18:32 30 July
18:32 30 July
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee questions Ronald Rowe about a "very telling" email circulated by a Secret Service counter-sniper expressing concern with the agency's culture, which was reportedly deleted.
She quotes the agent as saying: "This agency needs to change and if not now, when? In 30 days after the next assassination?"
Blackburn says it seems that "employees in your agency are worried about covering their behind and not worried about protecting a former president".
As Rowe begins to answer that he is "hurt by that email", the lawmaker interjects.
"Then why did somebody delete the email?"
Rowe responds: "My agency is hurting. Emotions are raw", he says adding that he is "committed to being a change agent".
Watch: Shouting match over size of Trump's security detailpublished at 18:26 30 July
18:26 30 July
Earlier in the hearing, Texas Senator Ted Cruz demanded specific numbers on the size of the team assigned to protect Donald Trump.
Acting director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe Jr said that a former president gets a full shift, but the Republican Senator insisted that he wasn't answering his question.
Rowe compares Crooks to 1981 Reagan shooterpublished at 18:19 30 July
18:19 30 July
Image source, Getty ImagesRonald Rowe says that the intelligence gathered on Thomas Crooks has a close comparison to John Hinckley Jr, the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Rowe says Crooks was "a loner" who was "for whatever reason fixated on attacking the president of the United States".
He points to the gunman's prior research focused on Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Crooks also researched how far Lee Harvey Oswald was when he shot President John F Kennedy.
Rowe notes that John Hinckley had "travelled the '80 campaign and we know he followed President [Jimmy] Carter".
"But in March of '81, he just happened to show up in Washington DC and saw an opportunity to attack President Reagan."
In the aftermath of the Trump shooting, Hinckley - now 69 years old and recently paroled from a California prison - wrote on social media: "Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance."
No calls for acting Senior Service director to resignpublished at 18:15 30 July
18:15 30 July
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol HillUnlike last week’s hearing with former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, no one has unanimously called for Ronald Rowe to resign.
Avoiding this particular demand would've been something he will have been prepared for going into the hearing.
He has been tough, forcefully pushed back, and crucially admitted the catastrophic failures by the agency. He's emphasised how investigations have to be done.
Republicans largely still want more firings within the agency - Cheatle stood down - and for them that doesn't go far enough.
Behind the BBC's viral interview with Trump shooting eyewitnesspublished at 18:09 30 July
18:09 30 July
In the moments after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life on 13 July, BBC Senior North America Correspondent Gary O'Donoghue spoke to an eyewitness who claimed he had seen a gunman on a roof.
The interview went viral, mostly because what the man had seen was so significant - but in part because he was such a compelling character.
The witness, who called himself Greg, said the man had crawled on top of the building located just outside the event in Butler County.
You can watch that interview in the clip below:
FBI confirms Trump was hit with a bulletpublished at 18:01 30 July
18:01 30 July
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol HillImage source, EPAWas Trump hit with a bullet? FBI Director Christopher Wray drew fury last week from Donald Trump and his allies by casting doubt saying it could've been shrapnel. It further stoked conspiracy theories that have flourished on both sides.
Four days ago the FBI released a one-sentence statement that marked the most definitive law enforcement account of what happened: "What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject's rifle."
The issue has been brought up again today by Senator John Kennedy to the FBI's deputy director.
Paul Abbate: "There's absolutely no doubt in the FBI's mind whether former President Trump was hit with a bullet and wounded in the ear, no doubt. There never has been. I've been part of this investigation since the very beginning and that has never been raised."
Senator John Kennedy: "You're sure?"
Paul Abbate: "Yes."
Watch: FBI asked if Iranian threats affected security planspublished at 17:57 30 July
17:57 30 July
A short time ago, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham asked FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate about separate Iranian threats to high level American officials, including former President Trump, at the time of the Butler rally shooting.
He asked whether that factored into security planning before the event.
Abbate said the FBI was aware of Iranian threats at the time, but his office was not in a position to make public comments on their assessment.
"We do a threat based protective model," Abbate told a Senate hearing.
JFK references brought up during hearingpublished at 17:53 30 July
17:53 30 July
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol HillRonald Rowe, in his pushback on Josh Hawley, had a flash of emotional anger. He said he'd lost sleep for 17 days over what happened, "just like you have".
He went on to say this could have been "our Texas School Book Depository". This is in reference to where Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy, found a perch above the plaza on 22 November, 1963.
We've already had a reference to JFK - we know the gunman who tried to kill Trump did an online search a week before the shooting: “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?"
It's the clearest and only indication yet that 20-year-old Crooks had been plotting a similar attack.
More heated exchangespublished at 17:31 30 July
17:31 30 July
Image source, ReutersSenator Ted Cruz of Texas picks up the baton from Josh Hawley, on whether there are specific individuals involved in making particular decisions.
Cruz pushes Ronald Rowe to name the individual who denied Donald Trump's repeated requests for extra protection prior to the shooting.
Rowe refuses to name names, saying there is "a process and a conversation".
"So its a bureaucracy," Cruz yells. "Give me the decision-maker. is there one?"
The caustic Republican alleges the Secret Service made a "political decision" and was guided by the Biden administration.
Rowe replies that "Secret Service agents are not political" as their exchange erupts into a shouting match.
"Stop interrupting me," Cruz says. "You're refusing to answer clear and direct questions."
Unverified claim agents abandoned rooftop over being 'too hot' put to Rowepublished at 17:29 30 July
17:29 30 July
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol HillRepublican Senator Josh Hawley - a Trump loyalist known for performative moments - has got into a shouting match with Ronald Rowe, wanting to know why he hasn’t fired anyone.
Rowe - who is pushing back hard - has only been in the job for less than a week after Kimberly Cheatle resigned.
Hawley asks him about agents abandoning their post on the rooftop because it was too hot - an unverified claim Hawley says was made by a whistleblower to him personally.
Rowe says he could not verify that. Investigations are still underway by the agency on what happened that day. We have not heard this claim about the heat before.
Heated exchange over who should be held accountablepublished at 17:23 30 July
17:23 30 July
Image source, ReutersAs the BBC's Alex Lederman just reported from Capitol Hill, we've just seen a heated exchange between Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and Ronald Rowe.
Hawley wants to know whether the Secret Service official who decided the building Crooks was on should not be in the agency's security perimeter or any other official involved with the failed mission has been fired.
Rowe replies they have not because he wants the investigation to continue rather than "zeroing in on one person".
"What do you need to investigate to know that there were critical enough failures that people ought to be held accountable?" an angry Hawley fires back. "What more do you need to know?"
Rowe says nobody will be "unfairly persecuted".
Raising his voice, he adds: "I will not rush to judgment. People will be held accountable and I will do so with integrity."
Rowe fights back against criticismpublished at 17:20 30 July
17:20 30 July
We're now seeing some intense exchanges in this hearing. Rowe has shown that he will fight back against criticism heviews as unfounded.
WithRepublican Senator Josh Hawley – an often-outspoken Trump ally – yelling about the SecretService’s failures, Rowe raises his voice right back.
“I will notrush to judgement,” Rowe shouts back at demands he fire officers. “I will makesure no one is unfairly persecuted.”
Lawmakers push law enforcement for detailspublished at 17:15 30 July
17:15 30 July
Image source, EPAUtah Senator Mike Lee is pushing Ronald Rowe for more details on the timeline of the Secret Service's movements prior to the shooting.
He asks why a sniper team - with "complete view" of the rooftop Thomas Matthew Crooks took position - was reported to have abandoned their post.
Rowe says he is still getting to the bottom of that question because "if even one of them left, there should have been additional eyes remaining" at the post.
Lee, who says he is "surprised you don't know that", pushes Rowe on why no action was taken against Crooks in the two minutes before his assassination attempt when security personnel were aware he had a gun.
Rowe replies that "no information about a weapon being on a roof was ever passed to our personnel".
"How is that even possible?" Lee reacts.
Questions raised over major communications breakdownpublished at 16:56 30 July
16:56 30 July
Alex Lederman
Reporting from Capitol HillCommunication - or lack thereof - has been a key focus of today’s hearing. How could such a major communications breakdown have occurred?
The FBI has said that a local SWAT team flagged the gunman as a suspicious individual more than 90 minutes before he pulled the trigger. They alerted Secret Service officers via text message.
Under pressure from lawmakers, Rowe stressed that officers need to use their radios more – that text chains alone aren’t sufficient.
But questions still remain about the underlying reasons for why those initial threat warnings weren’t taken seriously.
Were the alert systems in place not strong enough? Did Secret Service officers not take seriously their local counterparts? These are the questions lawmakers are trying to discern.
Why was Trump allowed to take the stage?published at 16:46 30 July
16:46 30 July
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from Capitol HillImage source, ReutersOne of the lingering questions swirling around the Butler investigation is why Donald Trump was allowed to take the stage even after Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as a suspicious person.
Ahead of the shooting, officers noticed that Crooks had a rangefinder - a device that allows one to gauge distances to a fixed location.
According to Rowe, however, those suspicions "had not risen to the level of threat, or imminent harm".
An ongoing challenge for agents, Rowe adds, is determining intentions and when a suspicious person warrants taking additional actions.
