Did the head of the embattled U.S. Secret Service lie to Congress when he testified that all manpower requested to protect former President Trump had been approved for the event where the GOP presidential nominee came within centimeters of being assassinated?
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wants answers after a whistleblower told the Missouri Republican that agents on the Trump detail shouldn’t even bother asking for key manpower because the request would be denied.
The latest revelations come as several news outlets confirm the Secret Service has placed at least five members on administrative leave in the wake of the July 13 attempt on Trump’s life at a campaign rally in Butler, Penn.
Request Denied?
“I have received new whistleblower allegations that again call into question your recent testimony before the Senate,” Hawley, who serves on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, wrote in a letter Friday to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe. “One whistleblower with knowledge of Secret Service planning for former President Trump‘s trip to Butler, Pennsylvania, alleges officials at Secret Service headquarters encouraged agents in charge of the trip not to request any additional security assets in its formal manpower request — effectively denying these assets through informal means.”
🚨🚨 NEW – Whistleblower says Secret Service HQ told agents working the Butler PA event NOT to request additional manpower resources for the rally & warned any such requests would be denied. Contradicts Director Rowe testimony, who said no resources were ever denied pic.twitter.com/85sHTAI82u
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) August 23,
