Transcripts show local police couldn’t communicate with Secret Service before Trump shooting

Many Americans wondered how the Secret Service failed to prevent an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last month that left one of his supporters dead.

New light was shed on that question this weekend with the leaking of transcripts from a tape which show local law enforcement officers were unable to communicate with the agency. 

No direct line of communication to Secret Service

According to Fox News, the transcripts were obtained by the Washington Post, and they show that a police counter-sniper spoke up at 5:42 p.m. ET on July 13.

‘We lost sight of him’: Radio traffic shows failed search for Trump rally shooter. More great reporting by ⁦@ShawnBoburg⁩ ⁦@samueloakford⁩ and ⁦@DevlinBarrett⁩ shows blame spreads across multiple agencies https://t.co/d9xWf3nIOC

— Tom Jackman (@TomJackmanWP) August 3, 2024

The officer described a “younger White male [with] long hair” who had been “lurking” with a laser range finding device around the building from which Trump would be shot half an hour later.

Those words appear to describe 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who authorities say fired eight rounds at the former president half an hour later.

Yet the Secret Service was not made aware of this sighting as the transmission instead went to a trailer which local authorities had put in place. No one from the Secret Service was stationed inside of it.

Picture of suspect could not be sent due to poor cell coverage

The Post reported that the local police commander then proceeded to telephone a Pennsylvania State Police sergeant with instructions to pass on the information.

Communication was further hampered by poor cell service in the area as the transcript shows a local officer complained that he was struggling to send a picture of Crooks.

“I’m trying to forward photographs of the individual,” the transcript shows a member of the local tactical team saying at 5:47 p.m.

“Units be advised internet and cell service is down,” another officer responded one minute later. Meanwhile, a sheriff’s deputy said at 5:49 p.m, “Your picture is probably not going to go through because I don’t have any service.”

Not enough time to warn Secret Service via cell phone

The Post noted how “[o]n three occasions, a local officer inside the Butler County command post had to relay information about Crooks to the Secret Service hub by cellphone — on a day when cell service was balky and unreliable.”

Later, a local officer radioed that he had spotted Crooks while attempting to climb the building’s roof but “lowered himself because his hands were on the roofline, preventing him from pulling his weapon as Crooks pointed his rifle in the officer’s direction.”

An unnamed law enforcement officer said to be familiar with the matter explained that there was not enough time to relay the new information via cell phone.

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