United States Secret Service Admits Denying Additional Security To Former President Trump

Washington: The Secret Service Agency of the United States has admitted that it denied requests for additional resources and security to former US President Donald Trump, years before the assassination attempt at him during an election rally in Pennsylvania. The latest development has come up amidst the ongoing probe in the assassination bid of Republican presidential nominee Trump. The US Secret Service had earlier denied rejecting additional security requests in its statement in the immediate aftermath of the July 13 attack on Trump. However, the agency has acknowledged that it had turned down extra security cover requests in the last 2 years.

Reportedly, a team of the former United States President had requested for more agents, extra snipers for outdoor venues and magnetometers at his large public events. Reports suggested that the requests were repeatedly rejected leading to long-standing tensions between Trump, his top aides and his security detail against the agency.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service admitted that new information had surfaced indicating that the agency's headquarters may have denied requests for additional security from Trump's detail.

“The Secret Service has a vast, dynamic, and intricate mission. Every day we work in a dynamic threat environment to ensure our protectees are safe and secure across multiple events, travel, and other challenging environments,” Guglielmi said in a statement released late Saturday to The Washington Post, which reported on the agency’s reversal based on detailed questions submitted to the agency.

Reports suggested that the reversal is likely to be a key focus of a congressional hearing on Monday where Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is expected to appear before lawmakers who have been expressing anger over security lapses that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to climb atop the roof of a nearby building at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and fire his weapon. Trump was wounded in the right ear, one rallygoer was killed and two others were injured.