“MISTAKES WERE MADE”
The Secret Service cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance.
Six unidentified staff members have been disciplined, according to the agency. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days’ suspension without pay, and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions.
Earlier this week, while reflecting on the assassination attempt, Trump said “mistakes were made”, but that he was satisfied with the investigation.
In an interview with his daughter-in-law on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump”, Trump said the sniper “was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn’t do that, you would have had an even worse situation”.
“It was unforgettable,” Trump has previously said of the events.
“I didn’t know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There’s no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming.”
On the anniversary of the attack, Trump told reporters “God was protecting me”, adding that he did not like to think “too much” about the assassination attempt.
“It’s a little bit of a dangerous profession being president, but I really don’t like to think about it too much,” he said.
