(NewsNation) — In the wake of a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, a debate has emerged over whether the incident represents a success or failure for the U.S. Secret Service.
U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire Sunday after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club in Florida, while Trump was golfing nearby. No injuries were reported. Officials say the person fled in an SUV and was later apprehended by local law enforcement.
Former Secret Service Assistant Director Anthony Chapa praised the agency’s performance in a Monday interview on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live,” saying, “What happened was textbook. The president advised service that he was going to go play golf that was never planned, that was not on an agenda. And he’s not a president, so it doesn’t have to be. But when they went, they put a special team together, and they went, and they were clearing the path, if you will, a secure path for the president to play golf.”
Trump himself thanked the Secret Service in a social media post, calling their job “absolutely outstanding.”
However, some experts and lawmakers have raised concerns about potential security lapses. Critics, including members of Congress from both parties, have questioned the strength of the perimeter security and the agency’s transparency regarding the incident.
Charles Marino, a former Secret Service supervisory special agent, told NewsNation, “This is both a success and a failure. The inner perimeter, the detail assigned to the former president… that worked. But it shouldn’t come down to the inner perimeter team to detect that… We’re talking about the outer perimeter. What was in place outside that fence line that the suspect was able to sit and lie in wait for 12 hours? That’s the problem.”
Robert D’Amico a former FBI sniper and federal agent with investigative experience, told NewsNation that criticism of the Secret Service may be driven by media attention-seeking, stating that “the critic gets the more attention, the more clicks, the more viewers.”
He contrasted this incident with the previous assassination attempt of Trump in Pennsylvania, suggesting that the Secret Service may have learned from that experience and acted more decisively this time.
The incident has also reignited discussions about the level of protection afforded to former presidents, particularly those running for office again.
President Joe Biden told reporters Monday that the Secret Service “needs more help” and called on Congress to respond to the agency’s needs if, “in fact, they need more servicemen.”
Changes to the level of security provided to Trump and others are already in the works after members of the Congressional task force assigned to investigate the first attempt on Trump’s life July 13 were briefed late last week by acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, according to U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., a member of the task force.
Ivey told NewsNation on Sunday the level of protection provided to Trump changed since Trump was shot in the ear at his Pennsylvania campaign rally .
The U.S. Secret Service has provided lifetime protection for former presidents since Congress authorized the agency to do so in 1965 through the enactment of the Former Presidents Act. It requires security for former presidents as well as their spouses and children up to the age of 16, according to the agency.
However, what that level of protection looks like varies, according to former Secret Service agent Tim Miller, who told the Canadian Broadcast Company those levels of protection are based on what the agency feels is appropriate.
Miller told the network that the Secret Service has the responsibility to protect a former president at all times wherever they go, Miller said.
The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was charged Monday with federal gun crimes. Additional and more serious charges are possible as the investigation continues and prosecutors seek an indictment from a grand jury.
NewsNation’s Jeff Arnold and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
