A US Secret Service counter sniper sent a scorching to the entire Uniformed Division on Monday night, claiming that the counter snipers working in Butler, PA on July 13 “did their job with their hands tied” and that supervisors routinely dismissed concerns counter snipers brought up.
The counter sniper warned that there would be another assassination attempt before November, possibly within 30 days.
The email was obtained by Susan Crabtree at Real Clear Politics, who reports that it was quickly deleted by the agency. Crabtree posted a photo of the email on Twitter, writing:
EXCLUSIVE: A Secret Service counter sniper sent an email Monday night to the entire Uniformed Division (not agents) saying he will not stop speaking out until “5 high-level supervisors (1 down) are either fired or removed from their current positions.” The counter sniper also said the agency “SHOULD expect another assassination attempt” before November and complained that he is no longer proud to be a USSS counter sniper after leadership failed the officers at the Trump rally in Butler on 7/13.
“This agency NEEDS to change,” the sniper wrote in the email. “If not now, WHEN? “The NEXT assassination in 30 days?”
“Sadly we have fallen short for YEARS,” the counter sniper lamented. “We just look good doing it. I have conveyed these thoughts to not only supervisors (to include the current Captain of CS, but those responsible for training us (SOTS/CS). Only to be brushed off as those with less experience somehow knew more than me.”
“The team I was once proud to be a part of, is something I have to somehow hide as I move into my next career,” the counter sniper continued. “Who wants to hire a USSS CS guy who failed? That’s the public perception I’m not faced with. The USSS CS team is a stain I will never be able to cleanse.”
He concluded with these two lines: “The motto of the USSS…CYA. And every supervisor is doing it right now.”
The agency quickly deleted the email, a knowledgeable source told RealClearPolitics.
Full email with name redacted below:
🚨🚨🚨 EXCLUSIVE: A Secret Service counter sniper sent an email Monday night to the entire Uniformed Division (not agents) saying he will not stop speaking out until “5 high-level supervisors (1 down) are either fired or removed from their current positions.” The counter sniper… pic.twitter.com/0dg99EESQk
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) July 30, 2024
The full email reads (spelling and capitalization original):
Thank you for the backing and support. I’m not stopping until 5 high level supervisors (1 down) are either fired or removed from their current positions. This agency NEEDS to change. If not now, WHEN? The NEXT assassination attempt in 30 days? Because we all SHOULD expect another attempt to happen before November. We’ve exposed our inability to protect our leaders due to our leadership. The technicians who worked on 7/13/24 in Butler, PA DID THEIR JOB with their hands tied. Secret Service SUPERVISORS “knew better” and the foot soldiers working made the best of a bad situation that resulted in a civilian death and a near miss of the protectee and our Technician shooting and killing the suspect.
I know many look at the CS team as “guys who sit on the roof” and don’t do much. But our responsibility, our MISSION, is not about protecting an EMPTY White House located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s about preventing and stopping another JFK style assassination, in whatever city that may be. Sadly, we have fallen short for YEARS. WE just got lucky and looked good doing it. I have conveyed these thoughts to not only supervisors (to include the current Captain) within CS, but those responsible for training us (SOTS/CS). Only to be brushed off as if those with less experience somehow knew more than me.
The team I was once proud to be a part of, is something I have to now somehow hide as I move into my next career. Who wants to hire a USSS CS guy who failed? That’s the public perception I’m now faced with. The USSS CS team is a stain I will never be able to cleanse.
Some of us take our job and responsibility seriously, DEADLY serious. I may be overzealous. But after 7 years in the Marine Corps as an MCO and 20+ years on the USSS Counter Sniper team, failure is not an option, and on 7/13/24, WE failed. Not because of commitment or sense of dedication. But because our SUPERVISORS (aka leadership) knew better and thought our concerns were less than important.
The motto of the USSS…CYA
And every supervisor is doing it right now.
While Kimberly Cheatle, then-Director of the US Secret Service, has since resigned, according to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk there hasn’t been a change in the level of protection given to Donald Trump since July 13. Kirk writes in a tweet posted Tuesday morning:
The Secret Service is testifying right now in front of the Senate.
We have hosted Trump THREE TIMES this summer and multiple times since 2017.
We hosted him again on Friday.
This past weekend was the most lax I’ve ever experienced the security with USSS. My entire staff and events team agrees. Nothing felt improved, if anything his security was more porous.
No noticeable improvement since Butler. Instead, it seemed even more laid back.
I’ve wrestled with whether or not to voice my concerns publicly. I certainly don’t want to inspire some crazy to attempt something evil, but after reviewing the text messages from Butler SWAT, and hearing additional concerns from my friends Dan Bongino, Eli Crane, Cory Mills, and many more, I felt I needed to say this publicly.
We must keep President Trump safe. If that’s augmenting his detail with private security, or sounding the alarm here, my first-hand experience confirms that not nearly enough has been done, and there’s not nearly enough urgency.
There are brave and honorable agents in the USSS, but Trump legitimately needs more manpower around him, ASAP.
I hope something changes.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is testifying before the Senate Tuesday about the agency’s failures on July 13.
