Security Failure Theory Resurfaces... Safety Concerns Over Trump’s Wide Activity Range

An assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in the United States, occurred again after two months, raising renewed concerns about the Secret Service's (SS) security failures.

According to the Secret Service and local police, on the afternoon of the 15th (local time), while former President Trump was playing golf at his own "Trump International Golf Club" in West Palm Beach, Florida, a Secret Service agent spotted a suspect armed with an AK-47 type rifle outside the golf course and fired shots.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Judicial authorities have classified the incident as an assassination attempt and have arrested the suspect, a 58-year-old man from Hawaii, who is currently under investigation.

The Secret Service agent reportedly spotted the suspect hiding in the bushes about 300 meters away from former President Trump, having been about one hole ahead. Thanks to this, former President Trump was unharmed.

However, since he was shot in an assassination attempt during an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, injuring his ear, the recurrence of another assassination attempt has sparked controversy over whether the Secret Service's protection was adequate.

The Secret Service, which protects current and former U.S. presidents and their families, as well as major party presidential candidates, was heavily criticized for failing to block the shooter who was confirmed to be on the roof of a building near the rally site during the July shooting incident involving former President Trump. As a result, then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23, taking responsibility for the security failure.

Despite the enhanced security for former President Trump afterward, the occurrence of another assassination attempt led The New York Times (NYT) to point out that "it raised questions about the Secret Service's ability to provide broad protection."

The NYT analyzed, "The fact that the shooter was able to approach a former president to within 300 to 500 yards with a semi-automatic rifle equipped with a scope shows that the urgent issues exposed by the Butler shooting remain unresolved and highlights how difficult it is for the Secret Service to respond to an increasingly violent political environment."

Local judicial authorities also acknowledged that although the security level for former President Trump has increased, it still falls short compared to that of a sitting president.

Rick Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County, said at a press conference that day, "If he [former President Trump] were the sitting president, we would have surrounded the entire golf course. But since he is not the sitting president, security was limited to areas where the Secret Service can provide protection."