An ex-Navy SEAL congressman has demonstrated the true depth of the Secret Service’s failure to protect former President Donald Trump by broadcasting from the roof where would-be assassin Thomas Crooks opened fire.
“I’m up here on the building where the supposed sniper took a shot. It’s not that steep at all, we just had a 70-year-old man back here climb up on the roof easily,” said Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) in a video shared on X Monday.
“See that water tower behind me? Had Secret Service or anybody had sniper teams up there, this guy wouldn’t have made it five feet up this roof. He would have been taken out,” Crane added. “It makes you wonder why they weren’t able to quickly dispatch the individual.”
I’m on the roof of the building in Butler, PA where shots were fired in an attempt to assassinate President Trump.
As a former Navy SEAL sniper, it was clear to me that many security measures were dropped making Pres. Trump extremely vulnerable.
Many questions still remain. pic.twitter.com/p2EhBTFg1M
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) July 22, 2024
Crane also posted a video taken through a second-floor office window overlooking the roof, which law enforcement had access to and through which Crooks should have been easily spotted as he secured his position before unloading multiple shots at the former president.
Beyond the rooftop perch, the stage where Trump spoke is clearly visible — reinforcing the increasingly baffling question of how law enforcement failed to secure the roof or stop Crooks as he attempted to murder the former president.
“This video was taken from one of the windows the Secret Service had access to, overlooking the entire roof,” wrote Crane alongside the video. “As you can see, they had complete coverage.”
“Makes you wonder how on earth they allowed the shooter to access the roof, let alone crawl up it & fire several shots,” Crane added.
This video was taken from one of the windows the Secret Service had access to, overlooking the entire roof.
As you can see, they had complete coverage.
Makes you wonder how on earth they allowed the shooter to access the roof, let alone crawl up it & fire several shots. pic.twitter.com/C1GTUAuPEa
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) July 22, 2024
The rooftop Crooks shot from was part of a facility being used by local law enforcement as a staging area for security outside the perimeter of the farm grounds where Trump was speaking, law enforcement sources previously told The Post.
Snipers from local police units were even supposed to be on the rooftop, but the units were not present when he made his way up and opened fire.
The Secret Service had also designated Crooks a “threat” 10 minutes before Trump took the stage around 6 p.m. that day — and had been warned about a “character of suspicion” skulking around the rally grounds over an hour earlier.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing Crooks around the area with a ladder or with a rifle, and as he climbed the AGR International rooftop and crawled into position with his weapon, numerous bystanders called for help to no avail.
Local police had been tasked with securing the grounds outside the farm grounds perimeter, but had warned the Secret Service ahead of time that they did not have the manpower to properly guard the building.
Despite knowing that the structure — just 130 yards from the stage — couldn’t be secured, the Secret Service still allowed the rally to go ahead as planned.
During a Monday hearing into the Secret Service’s colossal blunder at the Trump rally, Director Kimberly Cheatle called the debacle the agency’s “most significant operational failure in decades” — but still gave agents an “A” rating for their performance that day.
