House Speaker Mike Johnson faulted the allocation of personnel rather than lack of money as the main culprit behind security failures that led to two attempted assassinations of former President Donald Trump.
“President Trump needs the most coverage of anyone. He is the most attacked, he’s the most threatened — even probably more than when he was in the Oval Office,” Johnson (R-La.) told “Fox & Friends” Monday morning.
“We are demanding in the House that he has every asset available, and we will make more available if necessary,” the 52-year-old added. “I don’t think it’s a funding issue. I think it’s a manpower allocation [issue].”
Johnson and his wife met with the Republican nominee moments after officials say a Secret Service official confronted would-be assassin Ryan Wesley Routh near the sixth hole of the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon.
Following the security scare, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that if Trump were the sitting president, “we would have had the entire higher golf course surrounded” and stressed that “because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”
President Trump has faced more attacks than any other leader in American history.
Yet he remains strong and resilient.
Getting answers to how President Trump has now faced multiple assassination attempts is a top priority. pic.twitter.com/Bc6p0DPs77
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 16, 2024
Bradshaw’s comments elicited deep concerns from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and calls for expanding the 45th president’s security arrangements.
“I am sending a letter to the Secret Service demanding President Trump receive the same protection as President Biden. He has had two failed assassination attempts in the last two months. This is completely unacceptable,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) posted on X Monday morning.
I am sending a letter to the Secret Service demanding
President Trump receive the same protection as President Biden.He has had two failed assassination attempts in the last two months. This is completely unacceptable.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) September 16, 2024
Routh managed to get between 300 and 500 yards from Trump’s location on the course with an SKS-type rifle and a scope, which he abandoned after being shot at by Trump’s advance agent, according to Bradshaw.
“On the golf course, it’s a lot of area to cover. From what I understand, from what President Trump understands, they were ahead of him two holes. There were drones being used,” Johnson explained.
“That was not the case in Butler, Pennsylvania. Obviously some improvements are being made,” the speaker added, referring to a July 13 attempt on Trump’s life by Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, during a campaign rally.
Johnson commended the protective agency’s rank and file as “really patriotic, great people,” but explained that he had deep concerns about the agency’s leadership at the Department of Homeland Security.
“It’s the leadership. We have no faith — I have no faith in Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security,” he said.
According to USASpending.gov, the Secret Service has a $3.81 billion budget for fiscal year 2024, which concludes Sept. 30. Of that amount, the vast majority — $3.37 billion — has been set aside for “operations and support.” However, just $2.42 billion of that operations funding has been spent.
“Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former President & the Republican nominee is unacceptable,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) posted on X Sunday night.
“The Secret Service must come to Congress tomorrow, tell us what resources are needed to expand the protective perimeter, & lets allocate it in a bipartisan vote the same day.”
Monday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) floated the possibility of including more funding for the Secret Service in a government funding bill which must pass Congress before the end of this month.
“We must all do our part to ensure an incident like this does not happen again,” the Brooklyn Democrat said on the Senate floor. “This means Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Secret Service – and all law enforcement – have the resources they need to do their jobs.
“So, as we continue the appropriations process, if the Secret Service is in need of more resources, we are prepared to provide it for them, possibly in the upcoming funding agreement.”
There are multiple investigations underway into the Sunday security scare, including by the FBI, Secret Service, the state of Florida and more.
Trump has faulted rhetoric from President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for motivating the suspect.
“He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” Trump reflected to Fox News. “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out.”
