Brian Entin Investigates Security Failures at Trump Butler Rally Assassination Attempt and Historic Return
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Brian Entin Investigates Security Failures at Trump Butler Rally Assassination Attempt and Historic Return
Brian Entin delivers an in-depth investigation into the July 13th assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and his historic return to the same location. Through exclusive documentary footage, body camera video, and firsthand accounts from law enforcement and rally attendees, Entin exposes critical security failures, communication breakdowns, and the chaos that unfolded when a 20-year-old gunman came within millimeters of changing American history. This special report reveals what went wrong, who was to blame, and why so many questions remain unanswered about the shooter and the Secret Service's preparation.
Former President Donald Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, exactly 12 weeks after surviving an assassination attempt that came within millimeters of taking his life. Standing at the same exact spot where a gunman's bullet grazed his ear on July 13th, Trump addressed what could have been a record-breaking crowd of up to 100,000 people, according to local sheriff estimates.
The event began with a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who was killed during the assassination attempt while shielding his wife and daughters from gunfire. Trump honored Comperatore's sacrifice, with his uniform displayed at the rally and flowers surrounding the spot where he sat. Comperatore's wife and daughters greeted Trump when he landed at the Pittsburgh airport.
Security was noticeably different from the July rally. Local, state, and federal law enforcement surrounded the entire area, with snipers positioned in almost every direction. The heightened security stood in stark contrast to the security failures that allowed the assassination attempt to occur three months earlier.
Trump reflected on the moment, saying time stopped on July 13th and calling the shooter a "vicious monster" and "evil villain." He emphasized that "by the hand of Providence and the grace of God that villain did not succeed."
Elon Musk Makes His First Trump Rally Appearance
The event marked another historic moment: Elon Musk's first appearance at a Trump rally. The world's richest man, who endorsed Trump immediately after the assassination attempt, joined the former president on stage. Musk praised Trump's courage, saying, "The true test of someone's character is how they behave under fire. We had one president who couldn't climb a flight of stairs, and another who is pumping his fist after getting shot."
Musk emphasized what he sees as the stakes of the election, calling it "the most important election of our lifetime." He specifically praised Trump for embodying the phrase "home of the brave," noting that there is "no truer test of courage than under fire."
Rally Attendees Share Emotional Experiences
Many attendees were present at the July 13th rally when the shooting occurred. They described experiencing PTSD and emotional trauma but felt compelled to return to support Trump and stand against political violence. Rally-goers traveled from across the country, including Ohio, to witness what they considered a historical moment.
One attendee who was six rows back from the shooting on Trump's right side explained why she returned: "I just think it's historical to be where he was able to come back and stand here. I just think it's great. I'm very blessed to be here today."
The sentiment was consistent among those interviewed: people wanted to show they would not be scared or back down in the face of political violence. They viewed their attendance as doing "the American thing."
Exclusive Documentary Footage Reveals New Angles
NewsNation obtained exclusive footage from a documentary crew filming a series called "Art of the Surge" who were positioned closer to Trump than almost anyone else during the shooting. The footage provides a unique perspective of the chaos that unfolded, including people crowding around to help Corey Comperatore in the bleachers.
The documentary producer revealed that Trump decided almost immediately after the assassination attempt that he would return to Butler. Senior Trump staff confirmed this determination, with one law enforcement official saying Trump insisted on returning to the same exact spot despite suggestions of alternative locations in Butler County. When shown footage from the documentary, Trump confirmed: "Absolutely, regardless of whatever the situation is, I'm planning to be there."
Timeline: Minute-by-Minute Breakdown of July 13th
The investigation has pieced together a detailed timeline of the security failures that led to the assassination attempt:
5:51 PM - Pennsylvania State Police notified Secret Service that a man was spotted on the ground with a range finder. He was lost in the crowd.
5:52 PM - Secret Service agent shared the report with their sniper team and ground agents. Law enforcement was aware of a potential threat.
6:03 PM - Former President Trump takes the stage.
6:09 PM - Spectators alert officers that a gunman is on the roof, pointing and yelling about a man in a gray shirt climbing up the metal roof.
6:11:21 - A local officer is seen walking along the edge of the building as more people desperately try to alert authorities to the danger.
Moments before shots - One Secret Service sniper team changes positions and appears to locate the threat.
6:11 PM - First shot is heard as Trump is speaking about immigration, saying "If you want to really see something, take a look at what happened."
Seconds later - Multiple shots ring out. Trump goes to the ground as Secret Service covers him. Trump is then seen raising his fist and urging supporters to "fight" as his detail rushes him from the scene.
Corey Comperatore threw himself on top of his wife and daughters, saving their lives but losing his own. Two others, James Copenhaver (74) and David Dutch (57), were critically injured.
At 8:50 PM, doctors finished treating Trump in Pittsburgh. Just hours after the shooting, Trump's team posted a photo of him touching down in New Jersey. By Sunday morning, Trump addressed supporters on Truth Social, thanking them for prayers and thanking God.
Secret Service Admits Failure After Initially Blaming Local Authorities
The Secret Service eventually took accountability for the security failures, with officials stating: "This was a failure on the part of the United States Secret Service. It's important that we hold ourselves accountable for the failures of July 13th and then use the lessons learned to make sure that we do not have another failure like this again."
However, the admission came only after the Secret Service initially attempted to blame local authorities. Butler District Attorney Richard Goldinger became one of the first whistleblowers to speak out, defending local law enforcement and pointing the finger back at federal authorities.
Goldinger explained his motivation: "I told the truth. I knew the facts. I knew what our local guys' responsibilities were and they were sort of getting blamed at the time. So I just wanted to set the record straight. Someone had to stand up for them."
Congressional hearings followed, investigations were launched, and the head of the Secret Service stepped down. A new report found that the Secret Service could not even answer who was in charge of determining the security perimeter around the Butler rally, let alone all of the assignments.
Goldinger's assessment of what went wrong was simple: "I don't think there's a real mystery about what happened. It was just a lack of planning."
Body Camera Footage Shows Chaos and Confusion
Body camera footage and text messages obtained through investigation reveal the extent of the communication breakdown. The footage shows officers frantically trying to coordinate after the shooting, with confusion about who knew what and when. One exchange captured on body camera shows an officer saying he told the Secret Service about the threat, but there appeared to be no coordinated response.
The investigation found a fundamental lack of planning and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The security plans reviewed as part of the investigation showed significant gaps in coverage and coordination.
The Shooter Remains an Enigma
Despite months of investigation, remarkably little is known publicly about 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter who came within millimeters of assassinating a former president. What is known is that he planned the attack in advance through internet searches, scouted the area ahead of Trump's rally, flew a drone over the location, and went to a gun range to practice. The attack was calculated and premeditated.
Crooks worked in a local nursing home kitchen. Some former classmates described him as being bullied in school. Beyond that, details are scarce. The FBI director revealed that Crooks had barely any contacts in his phone - only a couple. He had minimal social media activity. Former classmates who barely knew him provided the only other details available.
One former classmate said: "From what I do know, he was a very intelligent kid and he did well in school. He had some kind of passion for computers. He didn't make it onto the rifle team. From what I've heard, he was just not a good shot."
Retired FBI agent Stuart Kaplan, speaking about the lack of public information, explained that the FBI likely has a complete profile but is keeping it classified: "The FBI is very, very familiar with who this individual is. My understanding is that they have completed a profile and a full sketch of where he was, what he was doing through the preparation and planning phase. What the public doesn't realize is that this is a national security investigation, and that information is kept at the classified level and will not be disseminated to the general public until such time as Congress gets together with subpoenas and some congressional authority to finally force our government to release the information."
This stands in contrast to the second assassination attempt near Mar-a-Lago in September, where information about the suspect, including pages from his manifesto, was released relatively quickly.
Iranian Threats and Asset Deployment Questions
Kaplan raised disturbing questions about why adequate security assets were not deployed for the Butler rally, despite known threats to Trump's life. He explained that the threat assessment of the protectee should drive the deployment of Secret Service assets, and that Trump faces the highest threat level, particularly from state-sponsored actors.
"There is intelligence that has come out that there are people in the planning and preparation stage from Iran that have put a price on Donald Trump's head," Kaplan said. "The necessary assets should have been deployed, certainly on July 13th. We now know the curtain came down and there were very few assets that were deployed to keep him safe. The question is, was that intentional? Was that by design?"
Kaplan noted that after the September assassination attempt, the acting Secret Service director publicly stated for the first time that they were able to neutralize that threat because "our current president gave them the OK to deploy those necessary assets."
The implication was clear and troubling: adequate security resources were available but not deployed until after the first assassination attempt had already occurred.
Why This Story Matters
The investigation into the Butler assassination attempt represents more than just another political story. On July 13th, America's future could have changed forever in what was the first assassination attempt on a major political figure since the 1981 attempt on Ronald Reagan.
The security failures, the lack of accountability, and the unanswered questions about both the shooter and the decision-making that left a former president vulnerable all demand continued scrutiny. Whether someone supports Trump or opposes him, the fact that such a catastrophic security breakdown occurred - and that so much remains unexplained - should concern every American.
Trump's return to Butler, to the same spot where he nearly lost his life, represents both defiance and closure. For the thousands who attended both rallies, it was about refusing to be intimidated by political violence. For the investigation into what went wrong, the work continues, with Congress and independent investigators still seeking answers to fundamental questions about how a 20-year-old managed to position himself on a rooftop within shooting range of a former president despite multiple warnings to law enforcement.
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