Read the Task Force’s Report

Mismanaged Walkthrough
On July 11, at 1000, the USSS led a walkthrough with PSP and local EMS, fire, and
police at the Butler Farm Show. 15 The walkthrough covered the rally stage and crowd area,
and the perimeter area along the fence that divides the Butler Farm Show property from
the AGR property. Witnesses who participated in the walkthrough told the Task Force it
was disorganized. 16 Butler ESU Commander Ed Lenz testified to the Task Force that “there
was no structure to it. There was no, hey, let’s all talk and figure out what we have to do.
It was really just a bunch of people sort of milling around the site” and “it did not seem
organized at all.”17
According to Acting Director Rowe, USSS personnel “assum[ed]” that local police
were going to adequately secure the AGR complex. 18 Rowe stated, “there clearly was not
that follow up to make sure,” and any deficiencies “were never escalated up to the
supervisors to be able to resolve.”19
The evidence shows concerns about securing the AGR property were discussed
during the July 11 walkthrough, but those concerns were not meaningfully addressed. 20 For
instance, Butler ESU Witness 4 testified to the Task Force that, during the walkthrough, a
Secret Service official “explained that there were to be uniformed officers in the area that
day [but] that didn’t take place.”
.”21 Butler Township Police Department (PD) Witness 1
similarly testified that the USSS did not provide any guidance as to whether or how to
secure the AGR property, even after Butler Township PD Witness 1 advised PSP that his
Department did not have enough manpower to station a car in the AGR parking lot during
the rally.22
15 Production to Task Force, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Dep’t of Homeland Sec., Bates 001368 (2024) (on file with
the Task Force).
16 Butler ESU Witness 1, Transcribed Interview Before the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J.
Trump, 16-17 (Sept. 12, 2024) (on file with the Task Force); Edward Lenz, Butler ESU Commander, Transcribed
Interview Before the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, 33-34 (Sept. 12, 2024) (on file
with the Task Force).
17 Edward Lenz, Butler ESU Commander, Transcribed Interview Before the Task Force on the Attempted
Assassination of Donald J. Trump, 34 (Sept. 12, 2024) (on file with the Task Force).
18 Press Briefing, Ronald L. Rowe, Jr., Acting Dir., U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Dep’t of Homeland Sec. (Sept. 20,
2024).
19 Id.
20
See, e.g.,
Drew Blasko, Butler Township Police Dep’t Patrolman, Transcribed Interview Before the Task Force on
the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, 10 (Sept. 13, 2024) (on file with the Task Force).
21 Butler ESU Witness 4, Transcribed Interview Before the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J.
Trump, 20 (Sept. 12, 2024) (on file with the Task Force).
22 Butler Township PD Witness 1, Transcribed Interview Before the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of
Donald J. Trump, 27-28 (Sept. 6, 2024) (on file with the Task Force); John Herald, Penn. State Police Lieutenant,
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