Trump shooting: State leaders react to Former President Donald Trump getting shot
Texas - Leaders in Texas are expressing their concerns about the shooting during Former President Trump's Rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Sid Miller, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, was an eyewitness at the Trump Rally shooting. Miller said the United States Secret Service did a good job of protecting the former president, but someone will be held accountable for allowing a shooter to get that close to Trump.
"President Trump was about less than 10 minutes into his presentation, then I heard a pop. I thought it was a balloon," said Miller. "The second pop, I thought, well that wasn't a balloon. Maybe it was fireworks, but the third pop, I realized it was gunfire."
Miller said he was 30 feet from the former president when the shots rang out.
"He immediately went down to the floor of the podium. The Secret Service rushed up to shield him," said Miller.
The suspected shooter was killed, and another rally attendee was dead. Two others, along with Former President Trump, were injured. The FBI is now investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt.
"In some ways, I think the Secret Service succeeded and in some ways, it was a complete failure," said Thom Bolsch, a former supervisor special agent for the U.S. Secret Service. "Obviously, that person should have never been that close and in the position he was in to take shot, but I do believe the cover and evacuate went according to plan with the Secret Service."
A former supervisor special agent for the U.S. Secret Service said presidential candidates don’t get the same security packages that a sitting president receives. He said Secret Service members did do the right thing by shielding Trump with their bodies that are protected by bullet-proof vests.
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"The advance situation. That’s what the advance work is for, to find high grounds, to find areas where people could do harm. There was a failure. There was a miscommunication there," said Bolsch.
Bolsch said they kept Trump down on the podium to make sure the threat was eliminated. He said once they knew the threat was gone, the Secret Service brought Trump to his feet and got him to the car.
"It's just that, that person was able to get his shots off before the counter snipers were able to get their shots off, and that's were the problem came up," said Bolsch.
State officials blamed mental illness as the possible reason for the shooting.
"It’s unfortunate that that young man didn’t get the mental he needed," said Miller.
With the Republican National Convention happening this week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bolsch said security plans for the event have been thought out months and maybe even a year in advance. On Sunday, the Secret Service said there are no changes to its security plan, and it is 'confident in the security plans' after the Trump rally attack.